


Deprivation

by Darkprism



Series: Monoshizukanohi [13]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, BDSM Fairy Tale, Bondage, Dom/sub, Electro play, Hurt/Comfort, Impact Play, Leather, M/M, References to Abuse, Sensory Deprivation, Sounding, Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-14 18:27:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 60,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11788902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkprism/pseuds/Darkprism
Summary: It’s been a year since Haku left Zabuza, saving his life but making him ache for what he’s lost. Kimimaro’s doing his best to help his friend, but at a great toll to himself. When Neji tells Kimimaro a VIP at Break wants a night of his time, hope bubbles up like a forgotten friend. But can the Mystery Lover really accept both Kimimaro and Haku and all the baggage that comes with them?





	1. Chapter 1

When Kaguya Kimimaro’s cell phone vibrated quietly in the pocket of his jeans, he immediately blushed and looked down at the stone floor. Hyuuga Neji – Master Neji to Kimi – didn’t pause in his speech, however, and Kimi silently thanked God.

“Which brings us to the next item on the agenda,” Neji said in his low, sleepy voice. “VIP status changes.”

Kimi’s phone buzzed again, and he bit his lip, clutching at the phone’s outline in his pocket as though willing it to stop humiliating him. He would never – ever – be so disrespectful as to leave his phone on during Club Break’s monthly staff meeting, but he made a promise…

“What are we givin’ them now?” Naruto asked, arms crossed and one foot tapping the floor, exasperation clear in his voice. “And could you please remind me why the hell there are other VIPs aside from the four of us?” Naruto gestured with a quick, lazy twirl of his hand to himself, Hatake Kakashi, who leaned against a wall near a large window; Asashi Tenzou, who sat in a chair to Kimimaro’s left; and finally at Neji, himself. The other staff in the room – two professional subs, the head of security, and assorted hosts and hostesses – remained quiet in their chairs placed around the nicely-appointed office.

“And that is our first point of discussion, Naruto” Neji said, and Kimi felt gray eyes on him as his phone vibrated yet again. He gritted his teeth and eased the phone out far enough to see who called, sinking feeling in his gut.

_Haku._

“Kimimaro,” Neji said, voice surprisingly gentle but still making Kimi cringe and want to melt into the floor. “You are excused to answer your phone.”

Immediately Kimi stood up, head still down. “Thank you, Master Neji,” Kimi said to his shoes before pivoting on his heel and marching out of the office of Bliss – the above-ground cathedral dance club that covered the below-ground BDSM club, Break. Kimimaro worked at Break and sometimes as a dancer at Bliss as necessity and schedule required or permitted. A contortionist and piercing artist, Kimi was known for his solo stage shows that defied the laws of human anatomy and physics, and he performed said shows wearing nothing but black velvet strips artfully woven over skin and through metal.

It paid the bills and kept Kimi in his preferred subculture. Or at least…as close to it as Kimi could allow himself.

Leaning against the stone hallway with his back to the office door, Kimimaro answered his phone. “Haku?”

“I’m sorry,” Haku said, and Kimi shut his eyes. Hearing Haku’s heartfelt apology erased any irritation Kimi felt toward the boy, as did understanding that Haku apologized for calling, for depending on Kimi, for what he perceived as an uncontrollable weakness, and everything in between.

“What happened?” Kimi asked quietly, knowing it was useless to tell Haku not to be sorry.

“The dream…” Haku whispered.

Kimimaro easily conjured an image of Haku, small and fragile, sitting up in his wide bed, hugging bent knees. The sheets on Haku’s four-poster, metal-framed bed were blue silk – all bought by his last Master – and the room was painted a garish maroon. Haku had stolen and taken to sleeping in Kimimaro’s old t-shirts, and Kimi’s mind completed the picture by painting the boyish man as dressed in Kimi’s old “Baka” shirt.

“The one where he comes back or the one where he leaves?” Kimimaro asked.

“Comes back,” Haku replied, and Kimi had to close his eyes when he heard a sob that wasn’t quite muffled. A fresh wave of utter exhaustion made Kimimaro’s knees feel weak, and he leaned harder against the stone. Its chill seeped through the cotton of Kimi’s shirt, and for a moment he let Haku pretend like he wasn’t crying and Kimi pretended he didn’t hear it while he tried to pull himself together. He wanted nothing more in the world than for Haku to be happy – would do anything for his tender friend who needed so much in life just to function. And, over the last year, Kimimaro had done things that he never thought he would do for someone else. Because Haku needed it and him…

…and because Kimimaro knew a thing or thirty about need.

Thankfully, Kimimaro also knew about how to recover when one’s needs led to sinister places that tried to capture and shred souls.

“Haku. Can you say it for me?” Kimimaro kept his voice gentle as he reminded the despairing man of psychology trickery that a shrink once used to help Kimi. The concept was simple: words had power and words spoken to a caring witness had even more weight. Kimimaro knew that this was why Haku called: to repeat facts Haku knew to be true despite the encroaching darkness so he could try to find inner calm.

“I need to,” Haku sniffed and sighed.

“I think you do, too. Can you start with his name?”

“That’s the hardest part,” Haku said, and from anyone else it would have sounded plaintive or whiny. But from Haku’s lips, the words were merely a reflection of broken pieces of self.

“I know,” Kimi said kindly.

After a short silence, Haku whispered, “…Zabuza.”

“Good, Haku…very good.” Kimi swallowed after the praise, the words still not coming naturally even after all this time. “Keep going.”

“Zabuza…” The name was a little more forceful this time, and Kimi felt a surge of pride. “Zabuza hurt me in ways I did not want, condone, permit, or agree to for either of our sakes.”

“Don’t rush,” Kimi cautioned. “Hear what you mean.”

“Yes, Mas-” Haku stopped, made a quiet noise. “Sorry.”

“Keep going,” Kimimaro said softly, one hand coming up to rub at his temple.

Haku took a deep breath. “He hurt me. And I ended it. I got away.”

“Now the important part,” Kimi said after a moment of silence.

“And…and…” Haku floundered.

“And I don’t want…” Kimi said slowly.

“I don’t want him to come back. Because he will not change, because I would let him hurt me again, and I know that next time I might not escape with my life. And there are people who care about me who would not like it if something happened to me...”

“Yes. There are people who care,” Kimimaro said. “Who don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Ever.”

Now Haku didn’t bother trying to hide his sob, and Kimimaro sank to the stone floor, body curled in on itself. He hated that he couldn’t do anything with or for Haku’s pain: couldn’t fix it or ease it or make it go away. It made him feel like he failed someone he agreed to serve – even if the roles were actually reversed in this particular relationship – and that was…just…Kimimaro didn’t fail those he served. _Ever._

And what was worse than the failure was that Kimimaro understood Haku: understood him even more than people deeply involved as slaves in the Lifestyle. Kimimaro got what it was like to want nothing more than to be kept – truly kept. To live for someone else, to obey without question, to trust and love and hunger for only one other soul.

Unfortunately, Kimimaro also knew how damaging it was when a relationship like that went wrong. Once upon a nightmare, Kimimaro had been the one who barely made it out of such an arrangement alive. Unlike Haku, however, Kimi had the resources for things like long-term therapy to cope with the backlash, the rage, and other issues Kimimaro found he still had from a rather brutal childhood. And it was a pleasant surprise to Kimi when he found that despite it all he had some sort of internal strength that allowed him to stand alone. Even if he didn’t really like it…even if it meant…not being truly happy ever again.

Kimimaro was okay without happiness when he had his job, his handful of friends, and people like Master Neji and Master Kakashi who looked out for him. He understood things such as acceptable outlets, reasonable limits, and safety nets. For Kimi, performing at Break and playing publicly in the club with various Masters allowed him a piece of what he craved to feed his thirst. And because he did it under the watchful eye of the owners – who accepted Kimimaro despite him being damaged and often misunderstood goods – he could feed his need safely.

Haku...would never be happy by himself. Zabuza found him young – insanely, illegally, terribly young – and groomed him to be the perfect pet for Zabuza, alone. When the monster got involved in nefarious dealings with and for Monoshizukanohi’s underground, Haku went along and became collateral damage. Not even Kimi knew the full story, but he knew Haku was taken and held against his will more than once. And it was probably only because Haku was used to the kind of pain Zabuza liked to physically inflict that Haku survived.

The boy went back to Zabuza not once but twice…but when Haku learned his Master was using him as a bargaining chip with the kind of men usually only found in the dark plots of true crime novels – learned that Zabuza was trying to leverage a pretty toy to earn the favor of a man named Aizen - Haku’s faint sense of self-preservation finally woke up from its twelve year slumber.

Knowing he couldn’t confront Zabuza alone, Haku chose to use the Annual Poker Tournament at Club Break as his stage to renounce his position and Zabuza’s claim. Kimimaro now knew that the only reason Zabuza had ever been allowed through the doors at Break for special events – as he was smart enough to never apply for full membership in fear of Kakashi’s scrutiny – was so the owners could keep tabs on him. Haku knew Zabuza wouldn’t turn down an invite, and at the time, subs could be used as bids. Haku waited until Zabuza tried to go all-in on a hand against Neji before slowly rising to his feet and gracefully moving to the middle of the dim club.

“I will no longer be your bid, your prize, your token, or your bargaining chip, Zabuza. I am no longer yours to give away and you are no longer my Master.”

The reaction was…predictable. Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment, staring with mouths agape. The divorce of sub from master was so complete and sudden that no one knew what in the world to make of it. Zabuza was not well liked, but no one knew much of anything about Haku because Zabuza didn’t allow Haku to speak to anyone.

Haku’s words and defiant stance rendered the room silent and watchful until Zabuza started to scream in defiance, drew a hidden weapon, and security seemed to flow from the very stonework surrounding the club to subdue him.

Kimimaro remembered all too well the awe he felt as he stood staring at Haku, wearing a gorgeous floor-length leather-and-silk dress, a blank expression, and no collar for the first time in twelve long years. Kimi marveled at the strength it took to make such a renouncement in public – as he didn’t understand or know what was really happening behind the scenes – and then Haku shocked the hell out of Kimimaro when he turned, ran to Kimi, and threw his arms around the taller man, sobbing.

“Please…please don’t leave me alone,” Haku whispered into Kimi’s bare chest, and Kimi held the distraught man on impulse and instinct. He remembered the watchful eyes of both Neji and Kakashi; could recall feeling like he did something wrong but knowing he couldn’t do anything else. Not with Haku clinging to him and not when he knew exactly how much it killed in Haku to break from his long-time master. Kimi knew because parts of him were still buried in warm graves from doing the same damned thing years ago.

Since that moment, Kimimaro and Haku had been nearly inseparable. Haku chose Kimimaro to trust because he was a sub and in no danger of trying to own Haku. Kimimaro learned that Haku was beyond merely intelligent and well into scary genius territory – there was a lot of that in Kimimaro’s circle, it seemed – and Haku watched, analyzed, and sized Kimimaro up as he stood in chains on the sidelines at Break.

“I know you understand me,” Haku explained one night. “And I know I can tell you anything and you won’t use it against me or think me worse than I already think of myself.” Kimimaro still remembered the large, dark eyes looking solemnly at him. “You make me feel safe…there’s ferocity in you where there is none in me.”

Kimimaro acknowledged that for what it was worth to Haku, and he hated that for all his supposed ferocity or determination or ability to manage on his own, he could do very little for Haku. He couldn’t give the man who had nearly no formal education or any practical world skills a job that paid a damn. He couldn’t loan Haku enough money to maintain his lifestyle – even after Haku downsized considerably. He couldn’t be Haku’s owner, wasn’t comfortable providing the physical things Haku needed, and trying to cope with the emotional backlash exhausted Kimimaro to the point he’d nearly fallen off stage a few times at Break.

But he did it…because there was no one else and because Haku chose to trust him. Kimimaro took pride in his loyalty and duty to a cause: he was an excellent employee, a superb sub, and would happily die for someone he loved.

_And oh how I wish I could love him…the way he needs to be loved._

Haku’s tears finally subsided, and Kimimaro heard shaky breathing on the line. Behind him, the door to the office opened. Kimimaro quickly scrambled to his feet, spine straightening as he leaned against the wall. It wouldn’t do to show weakness in front of his employers; his troubles needn’t concern his Masters.

“…think those parameters for attaining VIP status will serve the club much better,” Tenzou said as he and Kakashi walked out of the office just ahead of Naruto.

Naruto snorted. “Well, thank God we’re making it a little fuckin’ hard,” the blond said.

“Now, now…sharing is an important lesson in life,” Kakashi drawled as the trio walked past Kimimaro. Naruto glanced at him and nodded once even as his voice remained reproachful.

“Fuck sharing,” Naruto said with a playful grin. “I want it _all_ to myself.”

Tenzou chuckled. “Good thing, I suppose. To be with Sasuke…”

Naruto laughed, loud and deep, and Kakashi shook his head as he pressed the button that opened Bliss’ massive front doors. Naruto started talking again as they left, but the specifics were lost on Kimimaro, who breathed a small sigh of relief and refocused on Haku.

“Are they gone?” Haku asked, voice dull.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry I’m such a burden.”

“Haku…”

“Don’t,” Haku said. “I know what I am.” He sighed and Kimimaro heard static noises as Haku shifted, possibly wiping his face.

“Do you think…do you think it was possible the Inuzuka used me?” Haku asked.

“No,” Kimimaro said immediately. “He told you if you helped him, he would talk to his people about finding someone for you. I believe Master Kiba will keep his word.”

When Haku told Kimimaro a few weeks ago that Master Kiba was going to speak to his associates about Haku’s plight as payment for a favor Haku provided, Kimi felt so relieved that the next time he saw Master Kiba at the club, he fell to his knees and inexplicably kissed Kiba’s boot in utter thanks. Kimimaro couldn’t impose his burden upon any of the owners or upon anyone who might be able to help Haku: it wasn’t his place. Kimimaro knew the situation was growing that desperate, and he knew if Haku asked Kimi to intervene on his behalf, Kimi would do so as a last resort. The thought kept him up at night, and when Master Kiba appeared like a godsend, Kimi felt hope for the first time in a very long while.

Kimi knew, however, that the search would be hard. A bleak thought, that, and Kimi tried to stand firmly on his line of faith when dealing with Haku. Finding someone who wanted to keep a slave – even one as desirable and skilled as Haku – didn’t happen quickly, and Master Kiba was good…but he was not infallible. Despite what the Inuzuka might say on the matter.

“I trust your faith in him,” Haku said. “Thank you, Kimi…for everything…I’m…”

“You’re welcome,” Kimi said, cutting the other man off. “You want to stay with me tonight?”

“Yes, please,” Haku said, soft voice child-like.

“You’re not working today, right?” Kimi asked. Haku didn’t drive, nor did he own a car, and sometimes Kimi chauffeured Haku around so he didn’t have to take the bus everywhere.

“Not today, no,” Haku confirmed.

“I should be home by six or so.”

“That sounds lovely,” Haku sighed.

Kimi licked his lips. “Better, now?”

“Trying to be.”

Kimimaro nodded. “Okay…tonight…”

“Yes. Tonight. Good-bye.”

Hanging up, Kimimaro rubbed his thumb over the screen of the older phone – an Envy; Kimi liked the irony – and pushed off the wall. He thought about dinner, about a movie to take Haku’s mind off life, and Kimi turned only to freeze.

“M-Master Neji?”

The Hyuuga stood framed by the arched doorway that led into the office. His arms were crossed, his long, brown hair flowing and loose, his gray slacks and black shirt exquisitely tailored, and his expression unreadable. The shirt was open at the throat to reveal a chain with an ornate, oval locket hanging from it. Kimimaro knew the locket held a curl of light brown hair, though he’d never seen it, himself. Rumors and stories of the Hyuuga’s claim on Nara Shikamaru were now legendary in their ability to inspire hope for all doms and subs alike: that it was possible to find both love and kink in the same set of arms.

“Kimimaro,” Neji droned. “May I have a moment of your time?” Neji smiled what Kimimaro thought of as Master Neji’s, “autopilot smile” for the bodyguards and small group of employees that left the office, heading toward the front door. It faded immediately once they were out of line-of-sight, and Kimimaro gulped when the gray eyes returned to stare at him.

Dread and fear slipped up Kimimaro’s spine and slithered into his gut. “Of course,” he said quickly, eyes canting to the side so as not to meet Neji’s.

“Thank you. In the office, please.” Neji stepped to the left and gestured with a graceful sweep of his arm. Kimimaro got his feet working and walked carefully back into the office. In all his years working at Bliss and Break, Neji had never – ever – needed a moment of Kimimaro’s time in private. His initial interview was conducted by all the owners of the clubs. And after he was hired, Neji often spoke to Kimi about hours or shows or music, but never in the office. It was always on the floor before the clubs opened. Or Neji would contact Kimi by phone to tell him of visiting VIP members or seek him out while Kimi worked when Neji knew a particular guest would enjoy Kimi’s services.

But Master Neji had never invited Kimimaro into the office, shut the door, and then walked slowly behind the desk to sit with a thoughtful and pained expression marring his delicate features.

_Oh, God…_

Pride and swift self-recrimination surged through Kimimaro’s bloodstream. Obviously, he had displeased Master Neji. And considering the man had hired Kimimaro despite his questionable record, perceived emotional instability, and previous associations with Haze, Kimimaro found such a failure on his part utterly unacceptable. Master Neji and the other three owners of the clubs were Kimi’s saving grace. They accepted Kimimaro and his need for immersion – as Kimimaro knew he never really _left_ the Scene, despite the walls he put between himself and pieces of it – and he served the men happily.

And usually quite well…or so Kimimaro thought.

Hoping his slight was just the cell phone interruption – though that was bad enough – Kimimaro swallowed nerves and stood rigid, awaiting instruction.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody!
> 
> ∞ So, when I started writing this one, I had… no idea why. Or where it was going. I just knew I wanted to do something with Kimi and Haku and one other intensely pained dude from my Mono-verse cannon. And it was also about the Scene in my head - the one dear Kimi is heading toward even here. 
> 
> What I didn't anticipate - because I can be so oblivious to the obvious - is that even though *I* knew who the "mystery guest" was going to be, my readers… didn't. 
> 
> So began one of the most amazing - and entertaining - times in my fanfiction career. There were polls and guesses and private messages and contests and… it was just wonderfully crazy. And also extremely panic-making, as suddenly it really, REALLY mattered that I didn't have plot holes somewhere that would prevent me from doing what I wanted to do (turns out, I didn't… whew…)
> 
> All that to say - this fic became one of my favorites. It's definitely a kinky fairy tale. There is a LOT of BDSM in this one, kids. But I promise… it's magical. :D
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	2. Chapter 2

“Take a seat,” Neji said politely as he leaned forward to rest clasped hands on the desk. 

After a deep bow and a politely murmured assent, Kimimaro moved and gracefully sat in the chair across from the Hyuuga, eyes respectfully down. He studied the ends of his long, pink-and-white hair that caught the stage light so well and bit his tongue to stop himself from apologizing. He gripped his thighs to resist the temptation to slide to the floor onto his knees or doing something else in a show of abject regret. He wasn’t sure of his slight, just yet, and it didn’t do to speak or act without direction.

Neji sighed. Kimi flinched.

“Look at me, Kimi,” Neji commanded, though his tone was gentle.

Not quite meeting Master Neji’s gaze, Kimimaro obeyed and found himself the object of a look composed of what Kimimaro hoped was only sympathy and not pity.

“I’m not upset with you, Kimimaro.”

Kimi’s shoulders eased down a notch or two, and he had to resist going to the floor in gratitude. Master Neji wanted him in the chair, and in the chair he would stay.

“I need to discuss a few things with you.” Neji seemed to consider. “May I ask after your young charge? I assume it was him on the phone earlier.”

Kimimaro winced but recovered quickly. “Thank you for your patience, Master Neji, and for your kindness in asking after my friend, Haku, who fares well.”

“Does he?” Neji asked, voice still kind but obviously disbelieving.

“I…yes…he…” Kimi felt caught between having to be truthful and not wanting to burden this imposing man, and everything felt suddenly too large and heavy and impossible. 

With a soft noise, Neji rose and came around the desk, and Kimimaro nearly had a heart attack when Neji gracefully knelt on one knee in front of the chair and clasped both of Kimimaro’s wrists with a firm, cool touch.

“Let me be frank with you, Kimimaro, as I know your personal code sometimes impedes your ability to be completely honest with me.”

Kimi just stared at the beautiful man and tried not to think about how his hands felt so very, very nice.

Gray eyes the color of thunderclouds gazed into startled pools of icy blue. “I know exactly what you’ve been trying to manage with Haku for these long months, and I admire and respect you for doing it. You walk a delicate line between friend and master, and such a balancing act would be difficult for anyone.” Neji’s voice deepened. “For someone whom I know struggles with a role that does not fit and who also longs for similar things as our sweet Haku, what you do every day must be difficult beyond even my imagination.”

Swallowing, Kimimaro couldn’t find words and his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He knew, of course, that Master Neji – and probably the other owners – was aware of what Kimimaro did in his life. Kakashi kept tabs on everybody, after all, and there were very few secrets among such a closely-knit group of people. 

However, hearing Neji’s praise and understanding made Kimi feel like invisible wounds opened up all over his body, slowly seeping pain and frustration carefully held and hidden.

“Master Neji, I…” Kimimaro shook his head, and Neji rumbled a soft noise that made Kimi tremble.

“He just had a birthday, did he not?” Neji asked, small smile playing across his thin lips. Kimimaro stared at the mobile mouth as he answered.

“Yes, Master Neji. He’s 22, now.”

Neji nodded once, expression encouraging and sympathetic. “And I understand Haku is now in an apartment?”

“Yes,” Kimimaro agreed at once. “It’s in the same complex as my own, because I thought it’d do well to be close to him. We managed to get a few of his things from the estate before Zabuza was released from custody.” Kimimaro bit his tongue on saying any more. Neji squeezed his wrists, and Kimimaro wanted to melt into the chair. It’d been ages since someone other than Haku had just casually touched him in a situation that didn’t involve an audience or bondage, and…it was…distracting. 

“Very good of you, Kimi,” Neji said. “And the boy has a part-time job, yes?”

Kimimaro nodded. “As a receptionist. Though we worry…” 

Neji arched a thin eyebrow. “About?”

“Haku prefers to appear as a woman, Master Neji, and we worry that such subterfuge will be discovered by his employers.”

“A reasonable concern,” Neji said idly. “And he seeks other employment?”

“Master Neji?”

“My information tells me that his finances are not terribly stable.”

Kimimaro flushed, embarrassed to be speaking of such things with someone like the Hyuuga. “He is doing everything he can, Master Neji. I assure you.”

“Then I have no doubts,” Neji replied and Kimimaro’s breathing sped up as one of Neji’s thumbs began to circle on his skin. It shouldn’t be so simple to affect him, and wonder and arousal flickered low in Kimimaro’s gut.

“And he still seeks a new master, correct?” Neji asked.

“As much as he is…able to search, yes,” Kimimaro replied, distracted.

Neji hummed, a pleased sound, and Kimi felt a little panic flutter around his heart. He was a professional, goddammit…and Master Neji was…well. No one would argue the man’s presence, charisma, or skill, but…

Kimimaro told himself to get a grip, and his fingers tightened on the fabric of the chair. Unfortunately, that just made Master Neji’s thumbs dig deeper into Kimimaro’s skin, and Kimi had to work to control his breathing.

“His search has been brought to my attention,” Neji intoned. “And we are working on finding a suitable…solution.”

“You are?” Kimimaro asked before he could think about it.

Neji smiled. “ _ We _ are, yes.”

“Oh,” Kimimaro said, falling back in the chair in relief and momentarily forgetting everything but fervent gratitude. “ _ Oh _ .”

With a rumbling chuckle, Neji squeezed Kimi’s wrists one more time and got to his feet, walking back around the desk to sit. Kimimaro quickly sat upright in a small scramble for balance and poise. Usually it wasn’t so difficult to maintain decorum, but…

_ I must be tired. _

“Thank you for confirming what I know of Haku,” Neji said, calmly. “It helps me immensely. Now.” Neji sat back to pull open a drawer and remove a black folder that he placed on the desk. “If you will permit me to discuss the real reason for this meeting?”

Kimimaro frowned. “Of…of course, Master Neji. At your leisure.”

“And I trust I may speak plainly to you, Kimimaro? As we’ve known one another for some time.”

Sweat prickled, hot and cold, over Kimimaro’s body and he nodded once, not quite trusting his voice. A hundred things flashed through his mind: stage shows – were they good enough? His hours, his pay…were they enough and justified? Had he displeased a member in some way? Done something wrong at some point? Panic gripped him again and he didn’t know what would be worse: losing his job or disappointing Master Neji.

He could, after all, find a new job…

Kimimaro stopped breathing, and Neji’s face marred with a tiny frown.

“Kimimaro,” Neji said, and the tone made Kimimaro’s spine grow somehow straighter. “What did I tell you upon your arrival?”

The entire conversation played in reverse in Kimi’s mind, and he landed unerringly on the first thing Master Neji said. “You asked me to take a seat and look at you.”

“And after that?” Neji asked with obvious patience.

“You said you were not upset with me.” The words wrapped around Kimimaro and comforted him again, and Neji nodded.

“Very good, Kimi. You’ve done nothing wrong. Your services to myself, the owners, the members of Break, and the clubs are outstanding. You please us all very much, Kimimaro, and that is why you are here.”

“At your pleasure, Master Neji,” Kimimaro said on autopilot. He felt a nasty twist of pride, hope, and confusion. If Master Neji wasn’t upset with his performance, then Kimimaro was here for another reason. It wasn’t time to reevaluate salaries so far as Kimi knew, so perhaps it was something else? Kimimaro’s mind whirled and thought about work, life, Haku, responsibility, and making people happy all at the same time. It made his head ache and wish for the simpler times when he had only himself to keep in line. Truly, that was often hard enough.

“We – the owners and I – care about you, Kimi.”

“You what?” Kimimaro flustered and fidgeted in the chair, eyes closing as he sighed. “I’m sorry, Master Neji. I’m not myself today.” He shook his head, trying to focus. “I believe I’m in need of rest.”

“I believe you’re in need of a lot of things,” Neji said tenderly. “Taking care of another person in any difficult capacity is one of the most stressful things in life, if you believe the studies on such things.”

Kimimaro nodded politely, thinking about ownership and feeling desire sink into dark depths to dream where Kimimaro wouldn’t have to feel the longing too keenly.

“I’ve seen you deteriorate over the last year, Kimimaro. Not enough that I’m truly concerned,” Neji added quickly. “But enough to make me think on ways I might be able to assist.”

“Assist, Master Neji?”

Nodding, Neji tapped long fingers on the black folder in front of him. “A short while ago, a request came to me from one of our VIPs for a night of your time.”

If Neji on one knee in front of Kimimaro didn’t cause a heart attack, the idea of being so wanted by a member certainly tried. 

Working at Break had advantages and disadvantages: one got to play publicly, interact with fascinating people who often occupied the upper echelons of society, and Kimimaro enjoyed performing.

However, people rarely wanted Kimimaro to themselves for a variety of reasons. Talking to the other subs, Kimi learned that some people thought professionals were a little too good at acting, and, thus, not genuine. Some thought of the professionals as tainted goods, despite sometimes wanting to play with them on the floor. Others didn’t really think of the professionals as people with needs but rather saw them as vocal décor, and Kimimaro had no interest in playing with such individuals. Thankfully, the last group’s mentality was much more one associated with Haze rather than with Break.

All those reasons seemed sound enough but, being practical, Kimimaro assumed the reason such requests for his private time didn’t happen very often had more to do with his age - at 31, he was several years older than many of the pretty toys at Break – or with his appearance, which was not the standard by which beauty was set. Combine all that with Break’s standards for private play with one of its own employees, and the issues compounded. 

There was, after all, only so much one could do to monitor private play between members – though cameras, contracts, and security were watching, monitored, and patrolling. But negotiating a night with an asset of Break was a long process that involved Master Kakashi. 

And, Kimi admitted to himself, he was just…used to not being necessarily wanted. Needed, perhaps, but…

Kimi shook himself. “Oh?” he finally managed to say.

Nodding, Neji continued, “Yes – quite the request it was, too. I was impressed with the detailing and candor, but I set it aside as the particular VIP was not entirely known to me. Since then, however, I’ve seen him in action, spoken to him in private, and I can say with confidence that the owners approve of him. On all levels.”

Kimi’s eyes widened. “I…I see?”

Neji’s lips spread into a smile. “I know how…complicated things are in your life right now, Kimimaro, and without giving the VIP any details, I explained I had concerns for you.”

Today was turning out to be quite the day for revelation. Kimi felt warm all over and wrapped his arms around his chest. 

“He…” Neji paused to consider his words, eyes rolling and face falling into an expression Kimimaro had trouble identifying: satisfaction and delight and…something else. “Was happy to discuss anything I mentioned. And he did it again with Kakashi.” Neji chuckled. “And when we stalled for a little time to think, he raised the stakes.”

“How so?” Kimimaro asked.

“He offered to donate a rather generous sum to either the clubs or to an institution of my choice if I would agree to merely show you the suggested contract.” Neji arched a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. “Not guarantee it, mind you. Just show it.”

Kimimaro momentarily forgot to breathe. Nerves licked at his insides: what in the hell did this man see in Kimi that he wanted so damned badly? 

And what in God’s name would Kimi have to do to satisfy him?

Images of old, painful days at Haze pierced Kimimaro like ice picks, and he had to firmly shove all that away. He was safe, here. Perhaps he once trusted the owners and operators of Haze, but he knew better now. 

_ Safe…safe...here I am…safe… _

“I turned down his kind offer of monetary incentive,” Neji mused, startling Kimi out of his worry. “Though…his point was certainly made.”

“Point?” Kimi reiterated.

Neji waved a hand dismissively. “The important thing is that I approve. And since I happen to believe you could do with some personal attention wherein you fulfill a roll you enjoy, I called you here to show you his proposal.”

With a flick of finger and wrist, Neji skimmed the black folder across the desk to Kimi, who caught it, shocked by the folder’s weight and thickness. 

This…was not a standard contract. 

“You will take it home with you to read and review so you may decide but there is one key stipulation I wish to highlight before you do so,” Neji said.

“Of course,” Kimimaro said agreeably, looking up and not quite meeting Neji’s eyes.

“All the details of what the man wants to do are included, of course, as are other documents of note. But his first and foremost request is that he remain anonymous until such a time during the Scene that he wishes to reveal himself.”

Kimimaro shifted in his chair, skin suddenly feeling too tight. “Anonymous,” Kimi repeated.

Neji made an agreeable noise. “The other factors are not…” Neji tilted his head slightly. “Entirely standard, but I think you’ll find them interesting. According to my records nothing he wants is against your personal limits.” Neji smiled, slowly – a cat with cream. “But there are a few things he wishes to do that I believe you’ve not experienced personally.”

Eyes going wider, Kimimaro managed not to grab the folder and tear it open in his haste to find out what in the world the man wanted that Kimi hadn’t done. There were precious few things Kimimaro could think of that it could be, and all of them made his breath catch and his heart race. He squirmed beneath Master Neji’s gaze.

“I…But…I…” Kimimaro stammered. “Why me, Master Neji?”

“Why not you, Kimimaro?” Neji returned.

Feeling heat in his cheeks, Kimi didn’t answer, not quite sure how to explain himself and not wanting to appear weak in some way. 

“Kimi?” Neji asked in  _ that _ voice.

“I do not want to be…somehow pitied, Master Neji.” Kimi’s frown was fierce and his gaze down at the desk. “You said you were considering ways to help me, and…it seems quite coincidental that this request come now…for me. When so few have. And…”

“Ah,” Neji said immediately. “Kaguya Kimimaro, meet my eyes.”

His full name making him start, Kimi met Neji’s gaze made of fathomless calm. “You have my word that the man who requested you did so because he wants  _ you _ . There is no favor to me or to anyone else. He operates on no ulterior motive. I believe he liked the metalworks very much,” Neji smiled, this one kinder and more genuine. “And your eyes.”

Blushing furiously, Kimimaro nodded. “Thank you,” he said, finally.

“You are more than welcome,” Neji said. “I hope you consider the contract and take it. Now.” Neji stood and Kimimaro immediately followed suit. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I have another appointment.”

“Of course, Master Neji,” Kimimaro said with a slight bow. “Thank you for your time and concerns.”

“You are part of our family here, Kimi,” Neji said. “And I take care of people under my wing.”

Kimimaro didn’t know how to say how grateful he was for such care or that it made him feel like an insignificant spec standing next to a cold-burning sun. So instead he merely bowed lower, backed away three steps toward the door, and then stood. “Have a pleasant evening,” he said to the floor.

Neji hummed, sitting back down, already engrossed in something else. Kimimaro turned, left the office, quietly shut the door, and walked out of Bliss and toward his Toyota, stunned.

It wasn’t until Kimimaro was down the mountain and well on his way home that he paused to think about what Haku would make of all this. 

New nerves settling in his gut, Kimi drove with the black folder lying in his passenger seat.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Ooooh… Kimi. And his love for high protocol speech. And also? What the HELL was up with MY love for ellipses? *sigh* Oh well. Forgive me old habits, friends, and I hope you enjoy. <3
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	3. Chapter 3

Kimimaro pulled his old Camry into his parking spot in front of his building in Hidden Village. Haku lived three buildings away, and as Kimi checked his watch, he wondered if he should go to Haku’s or head up the two flights of stairs to his place, first. With a long look at the folder in the seat beside him, Kimi opted for the second choice, thinking Haku had sounded all right when they hung up earlier. He could check on Haku after he put the folder in some dark corner to grow roots.

Grabbing a bag of groceries from the back seat and tucking the folder carefully beneath his arm, Kimimaro locked the car and headed up the metal-and-concrete stairs. He nodded at Mr. Hathoway, who lived four doors down from Kimi and was out to go walk Butters, Mr. Hathoways’s dachshund. Kimimaro ignored the stern look of disapproval as always, thumbing through his keys. Kimi was fairly certain the combination of piercings, pink hair, and penchant for leather and lace didn’t earn him any points with his neighbors, but he paid the rent and had just as much a right to be here as any of them.

Though, admittedly, sometimes Kimimaro had to remind himself of that a few times before he listened to his own advice.

The inside of apartment 3C was cool, soothing, and smelled like fresh-baked cookies. Kimimaro froze momentarily, breathing in deeply and hearing soft classical music coming from the living room stereo. 

“It’s just me!” Haku called from the kitchen. 

With a rueful smile, Kimimaro shut the door, secured the three locks, and made his way down a hallway painted light blue. He passed by the spare bedroom on his left, a bathroom on his right, and then he walked into the living/dining/kitchen area, all open and all carefully painted in various shades of ocean and sky. Kimi’s furniture was dark brown, sparse and comfortable, and Haku had taken it upon himself some months ago to rearrange things on the walls in a more eye-pleasing fashion. At the time, Kimi was just happy that Haku was out of bed and showing an interest in something other than a slow death by starvation.

A petite vision of a man smiled at Kimi and then walked out from behind the bar in the kitchen and into the living room to greet him. “I hope you don’t mind…?” Haku asked in his soothing tenor. He clasped small hands in front of him and a series of bracelets jangled down his thin wrist. Haku wore sinfully skinny jeans and a long, black tunic shirt that fell artfully off one shoulder. Kimimaro couldn’t help but smile at the bare feet sinking into his carpet, the toenails carefully painted black to match Haku’s nails. “Felt like doing something for you.” 

“Cookies?” Kimimaro asked, tilting his head to scent the air.

Haku nodded. “Snickerdoodles.”

“My favorite,” Kimimaro said, walking to set down the bag and folder on the small table near the kitchen. 

“Yes,” Haku agreed pleasantly, and Kimi turned to find Haku slightly closer, one foot flexing in a point and digging into the gray carpet. His midnight hair was long and loose, and his large, dark eyes earnest and inquisitive as they regarded Kimi.

“Come here?” Kimi asked, arms opening and then wrapping around the eager man who hugged him about the waist. 

“It’s all right that I’m here?” Haku asked.

“You know it is.”

“I still like you to tell me…”

“Haku, I gave you a set of keys months ago so you could come and go as you please.” Kimi sighed and kissed the top of Haku’s head. 

“I know,” Haku said cringing before he relaxed again as Kimi tightened his embrace. “But I had to call and interrupt your meeting, earlier, and…” Haku pulled away, eyes staring at nothing. “And part of me still expects punishment for such things.”

“I don’t punish,” Kimimaro pointed out, wondering how many times they would have this conversation. 

“I know.”

“Especially not for needing something when you’re upset.”

Haku pulled away but managed a small smile and nod. “I know.” 

Kimimaro opened his mouth to say something else, but Haku waved his hands, bracelets jangling. “Never mind. Groceries?” Haku picked up the bag and spied the folder. “What’s that?”

It took Kimimaro a moment to figure out how to phrase his answer and the hesitation shocked him. He was nervous about telling Haku the truth, and the depth of the nerves surprised him. “A proposal.”

Haku looked steadily at Kimi and waited to see if Kimimaro was going to add anything to that. The stare made Kimi’s knees feel watery.

“From Break,” Kimi said. “It’s a proposal to play at Break.”

Kimimaro thought he could actually see the pieces fly together and form informational shapes in Haku’s mind. His lips tightened. “A formal proposal to play  _ privately _ at Break,” Haku murmured.

“Yes.” Kimimaro couldn’t keep the hesitation out of his voice, and his heart beat faster.

Haku’s head jerked to stare at the folder. “Not a traditional contract, either, I’d wager, unless the legalese is more extensive now than it used to be.” He tilted his head, eyes unblinking. “But a contract approved by Neji and Kakashi.”

Kimimaro wondered if he really needed to be here for this part of the conversation as he’d dearly love to be elsewhere.

“Have you looked at it?” Haku asked, turning with light grace to set down the grocery bag on the bar and begin to unpack food and put it away.

“Not yet.”

“You should,” Haku said as he opened a cabinet to stack canned goods.

“I know. I need to get an answer back to Master Neji sooner rather than later.”

“Yes. You don’t want to keep him waiting. He doesn’t do it very well.”

“No, patience is not his forte,” Kimi quietly agreed, more for something to say while he watched Haku move around the tiny kitchen pretending he wasn’t upset.

Haku merely made a quiet sound of agreement and folded the reusable bag. His hands lightly skimmed over the fabric, and Kimimaro saw his delicate fingers shake. Pain lanced through Kimi, and the urge to make it right – to fix the slight that hung in the air but got trapped in Haku and Kimi’s silent dance of considerate omission – nearly choked him.

“I don’t have to take the contract.” Kimi blinked at the words, and Haku looked at Kimimaro with wide eyes, throat working as he swallowed. They stared at one another, and Kimi wanted to laugh at them both as realization bathed his brain in knowledge his heart figured out some time ago.

An entire year of care, concern, healing, mending, and coping…of holding Haku when he cried, of loving him gently in the dark hours of night when nothing else would stave off the nightmares. Months of working together to find solutions to money problems, making loans, accepting promises, and letting Haku pay Kimi back in hundreds of small ways; even with his body, sometimes, when Kimimaro could see in Haku’s eyes that if he didn’t let the boy give  _ something, _ he would break.

And through all the hours of painful negotiation…of Kimi sorrowfully telling Haku that he just couldn’t give Haku pain because it seemed so wrong to hurt a man Kimimaro tried so hard to help heal. Even if Kimimaro understood the need: understanding did not dictate ability. They spoke of limits and boundaries and psychology. They talked into the early morning about pasts and histories and horrible similarities. Together they confided more in the other than they did in anyone else alive or dead…

But they never spoke of love.

Because love was infinitely complex when it just existed between two people; when it sprang up like a voluntary flock of flowers after you thought everything dead from the long winter past. Love was servitude and pain and aching knees. Therein such an emotion was recognizable – easy to spot. But when love came wrapped in companionship, movie nights, and smiles over morning coffee, it was much harder to identify; to see it for what it truly was or to feel its depths and weight and consequence.

It was, indeed…a day for revelation. Kimimaro breathed a long sigh of relief and fear.

“I know you don’t have to take it,” Haku said slowly, eyes going down to the floor. “But you should. If it’s not too much…then you should.” 

“Haku…”

“One of us should get what he wants.” Haku was calm and spoke without malice, but one hand came up to brush the front of his throat, a fingertip touch to the dip between his collar bones. “And I would prefer that someone to be you. After all you’ve done for me…it should be you.”

A hundred things bubbled up Kimi’s throat and died on his tongue before he could say them. None of them felt  _ right _ and he hated that he wasn’t good at this. He could play the part of obedience for months or years on end and never question if what he said was right or not. But when faced with trying to tell someone he cared about that he loved him and didn’t want to do something that would hurt him in any way…there were just no words.

Silence, long and mean, formed Kimi’s hands into fists and made Haku fidget with the neckline of his shirt. With no way to say that he understood it would both kill and revive Haku if Kimimaro did something for himself, Kimimaro crossed to Haku in two long strides and gripped dark hair and Haku’s slim waist, mouth coming down to devour Haku’s in a heated kiss that rendered Haku rigid for half a second before he moaned and leaned heavily into Kimi. Hands slid around Kimimaro’s back to clutch and grip at his shirt and the skin beneath, and a slick tongue pressed and glided alongside of Kimi’s, each thrust accompanied by a soft, needy noise that rose from the back of Haku’s throat.

Mouth moving to Haku’s jaw, Kimi breathed and opened his eyes, saw dusky lashes over flushed cheeks. He couldn’t explain everything, knew that fast and dirty sex in the kitchen would not make everything perfect between them, would not fix Haku, or even feed their real needs…

But Kimimaro had to  _ show _ Haku that everything would be all right. He needed Haku to trust and to…hope; to feel something good and real. Heat flared bright in Kimi’s gut and groin as he envisioned Haku happy in afterglow, and he thought he could manage something; a piece, a taste, a part of the whole truth.

“Haku,” Kimi rumbled, hands sliding down to grip Haku’s ass and make the boy gasp as his head fell forward onto Kimi’s chest. “Take off my belt.”

With a sound caught between a whine and a shocked syllable of need, Haku’s hands moved to comply. While his fingers worked, his head tilted and Kimi felt light kisses – the kind that drove him crazy – on his neck. Kimi’s eyes closed and he sighed as soft hair brushed his chin, and teeth gently pulled and worried a tiny piece of skin as Haku got the worn fabric belt undone and yanked it out of Kimi’s belt loops with a show of force.

“Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” Kimi ordered, voice mostly steady, and he watched as Haku spun, leaned forward against the bar, and crossed his arms at the small of his back, hands automatically grasping the opposite elbow. Kimi caught the belt out from between Haku’s fingers, and when he started wrapping it around Haku’s forearms, he shoved the bracelets up and out of the way as he worked. The smaller man nearly melted against the counter and the ends of his hair brushed the bar’s surface as his head lolled and he shivered.

“Oh yes…yes…Kimimaro, please…”

Deftly, Kimi wound the belt, and he heard Haku start to breathe faster when Kimi cinched the simple over-under clasp. They didn’t play these games often; incorporating pieces of Scene into what Kimi and Haku did for comfort reminded them both too much of what they lost. Kimi bit at the metal in his lip as he realized this might cross a line that went beyond a point of no return, but there was nothing but warmth in the wake of that worry. 

_ He’s already part of me. _

Kimimaro wrapped his arms around Haku and pulled him back flush against Kimi’s chest. He brushed aside Haku’s hair, which smelled like ripe fruit, and then reached to push his hands up and beneath Haku’s shirt. Warm fingers smoothed over planes of soft skin, and Kimi’s lips kissed down Haku’s throat. Kimi heard the question in the quiet noises Haku made, and one hand dropped to begin undoing Haku’s pants while the other quested up so Kimi’s thumb could caress a nipple.

“Haku…you…you are a piece of what I want.” The words faltered but were still true, and Haku stiffened. Immediately Kimi paused, button of Haku’s jeans undone and hand hovering. Fingers flexed and pulled at Kimi’s shirt, finding something to hold.

“Kimi…don’t stop…say it again?” Haku whispered.

“I want you,” Kimi said in a low rush, hands still immobile even though his fingers itched to touch, stroke,  _ do _ . “And one night can’t touch what a year’s made between us.”

Haku went utterly silent and still, and Kimimaro counted heartbeats. He wouldn’t do anything more without Haku’s consent. And maybe he’d already done too much. Doubt flooded Kimi’s mind, and he held Haku tighter, one hand covering a flat stomach and the other pressing against a smooth chest. He damned himself for acting on instinct instead of ingrained training, and he waited: suspended over self-made limbo.

Hips moved under Kimi’s hand, and Haku let out a shaky breath. “Oh, God, Kimi…” Haku moaned. “Say it again and touch me…please…oh,  _ please…” _

Kimimaro shuddered: he knew exactly how hard it was for Haku to say what he wanted – what he needed – and Kimi made a noise muffled behind closed lips. Reaching, Kimi finished undoing the jeans and had to use both hands to shove them down far enough to give his hand room to clasp Haku’s length and bring it to open air. Haku shook and keened a quiet, helpless whine that made heat sizzle down Kimimaro’s spine. Gently, Kimi traced fingertips over Haku’s hardening length, teasing. 

“I can’t leave you,” Kimimaro said, and he felt out of breath and dizzy. He rained kisses along Haku’s neck, gently biting when Haku tilted to give Kimimaro all the access he could to the long column of pale skin. Kimimaro pinched Haku’s nipple between thumb and forefinger and felt Haku’s minute jerk; heard him gasp like he strained to stay quiet. 

“And I don’t want to…” Kimimaro confessed. He circled Haku’s cock with a loose grip and moved his hand along the shaft without providing real friction. He bit into Haku’s shoulder just to find some sort of ground for himself, and Haku moved in Kimi’s hold, hips seeking more and head pressing back against the man behind him. 

“Oh God,” Haku half-sobbed. Kimi worried at the broken sound for a shuddering second and then Haku’s voice rose in command and plea: “Please…please…Kimi.” Haku shivered. “Take me, use me, just…let me feel you…” The last words trailed into a whisper, and reality got slippery for Kimi as Haku asked for what he wanted; responded like a trusting lover and not a broken toy of some monster’s desire. It was a rare glimpse into who Haku could be, revealed by words and touch, and Kimi ached in too many places to count.

A low grunt escaped Kimimaro’s throat as he stepped back and pulled Haku with him, hands steadying and guiding. He turned and walked them both over to the table, and Haku started bending forward even as Kimi’s hand caught his bound arms and helped him lean and rest on the fake wooden surface. Haku’s breathing quickened, and Kimi saw his fingernails dig into his own skin. Shaky hisses coming from between his lips, Kimi’s hands caressed down Haku’s sides and slipped under the tight jeans again. He pushed them down to mid-thigh, revealing creamy skin marred with old scars. Pain and need and heat made Kimimaro gasp, and he shoved the shirt higher on Haku’s back and bent to kiss an old lash mark, to swipe his tongue along Haku’s spine. 

“Kimimaro,” Haku groaned, the last vowel drawn out as Haku spread his legs as much as he was able and slid on the table with a hiss of fabric on wood. Hearing his name made Kimi’s cock jump, his own jeans entirely too tight. His thoughts whirled madly – was this too much, too little, worry, want, fear – and he licked over another scar just to hear Haku’s breath catch. The man began to whisper quiet pleas, the specifics lost on Kimi’s ears, and Kimi rose up to lean forward and rest his weight along Haku’s back. He saw the heavily-lidded eyes, the pink mouth reddened from gnawing teeth, and Kimimaro turned his head to kiss Haku. One hand wound in dark hair and gripped, and Haku whined into Kimimaro’s mouth, tongue lashing and wet, lips parting wide to let Kimi inside.

Finally Kimimaro broke the kiss with a nibble to Haku’s lower lip, and he groaned in Haku’s ear while his hand quested down to tease between Haku’s cheeks.

“I…I…” Haku stammered, eyes squeezing shut, and Kimi felt him clutch and cling to Kimi’s shirt again. Kimimaro was about to ask what was wrong when his fingers brushed over a slicked entrance. With an explosive exhale, Kimimaro teased one digit around a fluttering ring and slipped it easily inside Haku’s body to Kimi’s delighted fascination and Haku’s labored breathing.

“Oh,” Kimimaro coughed. “ _ Oh…”  _

Haku squirmed and tried to turn his head, to hide, but Kimi kissed him still, lips pressing firmly to Haku’s cheek. “Tell me what you did?” Kimimaro asked, breathless as he pressed two fingers into Haku.

“Ah –” Haku gasped, the single syllable high-pitched but quiet. “I…just…I –  _ oh God  _ – I’m sorry…”

“I’m not,” Kimimaro husked. “Please…tell me – ” Kimimaro bit his lip as Haku clenched and squirmed again, but this time his body shifted back toward Kimi, asking for more. “Tell me, Haku, tell me…”

“I…I used a toy, after the call…just to escape, not think for a –  _ nnngh _ \- while, but – ” Haku broke off to pant, and Kimi loved that the sounds were growing louder and more eager as he slowly slid his fingers in and out of Haku’s body: an unnecessary and utterly delicious tease. “Didn’t do it with expectation…” Haku whispered.

Kimimaro smiled and kissed Haku’s cheek, ear, temple. “Did you fuck yourself until you came?” The words made Kimi’s dick protest the delay and made Haku hold his breath. 

Haku's mouth worked once before he could answer, and his eyes squeezed shut. “Y-yes…”

“What did you think about?” Kimi turned his hand and pressed deeper into Haku, fingertips seeking his prostate.

With a cry, Haku bucked against the table and Kimi’s hand, bare ass pressing against Kimi’s clothed cock. “I thought…” Haku called out again, this one different: desperate and almost fearful. “Thought about you…and a Master to take us both…”

Kimimaro’s shudder and the shove of his hand made the table scrape over the floor and hit the wall. He rested his weight on top of Haku, kissed any skin his mouth could find and slowly kept finger-fucking Haku while his other hand scrabbled to undo his pants. 

“ _ Nnn _ …Haku…” Kimi whisper-moaned as he got his dick free and removed his fingers from within Haku to line up his cock. Haku writhed and Kimi’s breathing took on quiet sounds on each exhale.

“Oh please, oh  _ please _ , God, yes… _ take _ me…inside me…” Haku babbled through clenched teeth and Kimimaro hissed a harsh breath, concentration making his forehead crease. Haku’s upper body jerked hard as Kimi’s criss-cross pierced cockhead pushed inside a maddening tunnel of clenching heat. Kimimaro’s hand slapped down on the table next to Haku’s head, mouth falling open in relief, and the ladder down his length followed the cross, earning Kimimaro a low moan from the man he pinned. 

Sitting up and bracing one hand across both of Haku’s bound arms, Kimi widened his stance, rocked back, and thrust into Haku, making himself grunt.

_ “Shit!” _ Haku cursed, and Kimi’s mouth stretched into a rare grin as he knew Haku was gone when he lost track of pleading poise and succumbed to four-letter words. Kimimaro gave Haku three slow thrusts and then set up a pace designed for fast end-game. Haku choked on noises beneath him, and Kimi kept him pressed firmly against the table.

“ _ Oooh _ fuck me,  _ yes _ !” Haku called and Kimimaro tried to find a leash on oxygen as he looked down to watch his cock abuse an entrance that sucked him in and squeezed down in time to his frenetic pace. 

“Haku… _ oh – mmmngh – Haku…” _ Kimi breathed, moved, and gripped, mouth in a silent snarl.

“Harder,” Haku whimpered. “Oh fuck, Kimi,  _ harder…” _

Kimimaro shifted, hand tightening on Haku’s arms and the other moving to dig into Haku’s hip with a purposefully bruising grip. The table shift-slammed into the wall, and Kimimaro reached to grab Haku’s shoulder, impaling him down and back as Kimi rocked forward, the impact making the slap of skin echo in the kitchen. 

Haku wailed as Kimi kept up the pace, world narrowing to the boiling in his gut that tightened ass, balls, and spine in prelude to release. Thoughts flicker-flared as the heat built to a raging inferno, and he heard Haku beg – 

_ “Come inside me, please, oh fuck, please – ” _

\- and knew what he wanted to do. Plan somewhere in his lust-drenched mind, Kimimaro abandoned everything but the delicious sight before his eyes and the feel of Haku around his dick and let need build, burn, swell, and then swallow his control. 

_ “Ha-ku!” _ Kimi growled as he came, and Haku made contented noises of relief with each breath as Kimimaro fell to rest along Haku’s back, hips still moving, hands bracing on the table, palms slick and hair hanging down to trail over Haku’s. Eyes closing as he rode the aftershocks, Kimimaro panted for a handful of heartbeats. He slowly circled his hips, and Haku stutter-gasped at the feel of metal and a softening length moving against his insides.

Thinking about needs and Haku and years of denial and a day of discovery, Kimimaro slowly pulled out and just as Haku’s head lifted to look at Kimi, the older man smiled and pushed three fingers back inside of Haku, swift and forceful. The white’s of Haku’s eyes shown brightly in the fluorescent light of the kitchen, and his mouth worked in a silent cry.

“You will not leave me,” Kimimaro said, voice quiet and without demand. His fingers started to move and he shifted to reach and wrap his other hand around Haku’s cock. “Say it, Haku.”

Haku’s breathing stuttered, and Kimimaro waited, hands moving within and on Haku with skill and purpose.

“You…will not… leave me…” Haku finally managed, voice breathy and startled.

“Good,” Kimi said, leaning to rest his weight over Haku’s bound form, careful not to lose his pace as his hands moved slightly faster. “Because I am part of what you need. Say it, Haku.”

“Because I am part of what you need,” Haku said, faster, gasping, and Kimi saw his eyes squeeze shut and a tear make a damp path down the side of Haku’s nose.

Kimimaro smeared pre-cum and his fingers teased a fast, flicking dance beneath the head of Haku’s cock until the smaller man frantically whined. Kimi’s fingers pressed and stroked Haku’s insides, and Haku’s eyes rolled beneath their lids. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Kimimaro whispered, and Haku’s body shook with a sob caught between pleasure and shock.

“And you care for me,” Kimimaro prompted. “Say it…please…”

“You care for me,” Haku rasped, torso rising and falling beneath Kimi, skin feverish through his shirt.

“And you want me.” Kimi’s fist closed tighter and stroked faster, and Haku writhed for Kimi, lips dry from breathing with lung-bursting gasps.

“You…want me…oh  _ God…fuck, please, I can’t…” _

“And I love you.” Kimi’s voice was calm, though his eyes felt damp and every word scratched his throat. Haku stopped breathing, shook, and Kimimaro felt Haku's body tense and quake as climax took him just before Haku opened his mouth and let go of a loud, long, groan composed of pleasure and old pain. Kimimaro’s eyes closed and he rested his forehead against Haku’s back. He stilled both his hands but didn’t withdraw until Haku went boneless against the table. 

Gently, Kimimaro let his fingers fall away, and Haku remained silent as Kimi bent to unbind Haku’s arms. He kneaded just above Haku’s elbows with careful presses of his thumbs, and he worried when Haku didn’t make a single sound, though tears flowed from beneath his closed lids. 

With a light squeeze, Kimimaro let Haku go to tuck himself back into his clothing. He ripped off his shirt, tossing it carelessly aside. Kneeling, Kimi pressed feather kisses to Haku’s lower back, making him shiver, and then slowly worked the jeans down and off Haku’s legs, relaxing somewhat when Haku raised each foot in turn to help Kimi’s task. Rising again, Kimi pulled Haku up and off the table, lifting him easily, and got the sweaty shirt off Haku before bending and picking the slight boy up into Kimi’s arms.

Through it all, Haku didn’t make a single sound, and Kimimaro walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. “Just going to rest a minute and then I’ll take you to the shower, okay?” Kimi asked, knowing that Zabuza used to torture Haku in a variety of heinous ways and one of them was keeping him unclean when Haku displeased him.

Haku nodded, and Kimi finally relaxed when the motion was firm and accompanied by Haku settling down and pressing closer to Kimi. Grabbing a blanket off the back of the sofa, Kimimaro bundled Haku up and then held him, cheek pressed to the top of Haku’s head.

“You only say things to me if you mean them,” Haku said after long moments of being held.

“Yes, I do,” Kimi agreed.

Haku went limp in Kimimaro’s arms, and Kimi held him tighter, knowing what worked to comfort Haku from long hours of discussion.

“Good, then,” Haku said quietly.

“We’ll find someone for both of us,” Kimimaro said, wanting the words to be a prediction of truth but wondering if such a thing would ever be possible. “Find a way for both of us to be happy. And together.”

“That…won’t be easy…”

“Nothing that involves real happiness is,” Kimi replied. “But we have each other.”

“We do.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize...” Kimimaro trailed off, ashamed of his own blindness.

Haku actually chuckled, and Kimimaro could have wept in sheer delight at the unusual, pleasant noise.

“I knew how I felt, and it was enough,” Haku replied. 

A clock ticked from the mantel over the tiny, unused fireplace. Kimimaro felt weariness settle into his bones – the kind of exhaustion that always came when he pushed himself.

“I think…I think I’m good for a shower, now?” Haku said, making it a question.

Without a word, Kimimaro stood and carried Haku over to the door leading into the main bedroom, heading toward Kimi’s bathroom. 

“Thank you,” Haku said, voice thick.

Kimi swallowed and kissed Haku’s hair, trying to think only of hope found in promises and the serenity of long showers.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Here's where I need to mention that in addition to having some sort of additive in Mono's water supply that makes everyone kinky, angsty, dark, and at least bisexual, this world also doesn't allow for piercings to shift or reject or cause any problems with latex or bare skin during sex. Just take a walk with me over here on this side of suspended disbelief, mmkay?
> 
> Also, oh, my heart… Snickerdoodles. And Haku. And Kimi. AAAGH, I love these boys. *sniffle*
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	4. Chapter 4

Later, after bathing, cookies, dinner, and bad TV, Kimimaro sat naked in bed covered by a thin sheet. The room was lit by a single lamp on Kimi’s bedside table. Behind the queen-sized bed and wooden, slat headboard, dark blue drapes covered the long, wide window and blocked the light of a full moon. With a breath that shook hard as it left his lungs, he closed the black folder that rested on his bent knees and turned to place it carefully on the floor. Kimi stared down at it for a long moment, mind in a firestorm of fear and want, and he jerked his hand back when he realized he traced the front of the folder with the tips of his fingers.

A rustle of fabric and hands on his bare skin made Kimi sit up, and he gratefully and silently let Haku pull him down to the bed. Kimimaro buried his face in Haku’s neck and scent, and the smaller man wrapped arms and leg around Kimi, holding tightly.

For reasons Kimimaro understood but didn’t want to dwell upon, he began to shake and breathe faster. He clung to Haku and shook his head, a silent denial of want that ran so deeply it was a living, hungry thing in Kimimaro’s bloodstream, and his lips dragged in a kiss across Haku’s bare upper chest.

“Tell me what scares you,” Haku whispered.

Kimi’s eyes flew open and when he blinked, damp lashes brushed Haku’s skin. “I…it…” He couldn’t make his voice work, and Haku rubbed his back, the soothing touch working magic in moments.

“The note,” Kimimaro said finally, words choked. “The note…letter…where he said he wanted me and what he wanted to do…”

“Yes?” Haku gently prompted.

“It was…it was hand written. All of it. Pages and pages…things he didn’t need to say, but did. Things that didn’t have anything to do with the Scene and just…what he wanted. And why…” Memorized curls of script danced in front of Kimimaro’s eyes, and he felt sucker punched. Caught. Trapped. Laid bare.

“Oh,” Haku said, a quiet gasp of sound.

“Haku? He says  _ why _ he wants  _ me. _ ”

“Tell me?”

“That he was inspired and moved by my dance, that he liked the way the metal caught the light, my hair, my eyes, my respect and tone. He…he…described me with poetry, just…said what he liked, what he wanted to touch, what he wanted to do, how he wanted me to feel. Said he’s been…watching, wants to…know me…and that I seem so untouched for someone who should be so jaded.” Kimimaro quoted the letter with wide, unseeing eyes, and Haku’s hand threaded into Kimimaro’s hair.

“Oh,” Haku breathed. “Kimi…”

Kimimaro whimpered and pressed his lips to Haku’s skin in frantic, sloppy kisses.

“Does he offer pain?” Haku asked.

Kimimaro nodded, not trusting his voice. He felt and heard Haku swallow.

“Release for himself?”

Another nod, and Kimimaro had to bite Haku’s skin to help him remember what was real.

“Oo-oh,” Haku breathed, both in response to Kimi’s teeth and the answer. “And…for you? Release for you?”

Kimimaro made a quiet, affirmative noise, and he felt like he might burn alive.

Haku shifted, clasped both hands on either of Kimi’s cheeks and forced their gazes level. “Is there anything that could hurt you?”

Knowing what kind of hurt Haku meant, Kimi shook his head once; a negative.

Dark eyes searched Kimimaro’s. “And he promises to reveal himself that night?”

“He does,” Kimimaro husked.

“Then you have to agree to it,” Haku said with finality. “For both of us.”

“But – ”

Haku covered Kimimaro’s mouth with one hand. “No,” he said firmly. “I know you want and need this. And it’s safe because Neji and Kakashi say it is. I trust them because you trust them. So do it, remember every piece, and then come back to me and tell me every detail.” Haku’s cupid mouth pulled into a smile.

Kimimaro remained still, got control of his breathing, and finally nodded beneath the scrutiny of Haku’s steady stare.

With a knowing, timid glance, Haku removed his hand from Kimi’s face and kissed him, touch trailing down to circle Kimimaro’s cock, stroking the half-hard length to full form.

“Take me again,” Haku said like it was a secret someone could overhear. Kimimaro said nothing, rolling onto his back as Haku pushed insistently against him and slid on top of Kimi to straddle his hips. “Want to ride you and feel metal and skin inside of me,” Haku whispered, and Kimimaro’s mouth fell open as Haku gripped Kimi’s wrists and pushed them up on the bed. He blinked slowly up at Haku, feeling desperate and dreamlike. What was real? The contract? The need? This? Haku’s hands on his body, thighs squeezing his sides, Haku’s lower lip caught by his upper teeth.

“I like telling you what I want,” Haku said in a conspirator’s murmur as he shifted his lower body and caught the head of Kimimaro’s cock with his ass and then entrance. “It’s so easy with you…”

Kimimaro’s eyelids fluttered closed as heat engulfed him again. “Oh God…your cock feels so…so good…” Haku gasped, already starting to move.

The words washed everything away but the burned outlines of images created by a stranger’s handwriting and the feel of Haku rocking above Kimi. Fingers dug into his wrists, nails scraping, and Kimi moaned Haku’s name, hips rising to meet Haku’s rolls. It was too simple to imagine himself bound and helpless; undone and so far down he could only move and obey the pleasures of someone else’s mind. It was harder to conjure how the stranger’s touch would feel: unfamiliar hands on his body, demanding and caressing and exploring, would make Kimi want to struggle for himself and purchase and ultimately want to give in with abandon. Especially when he couldn’t see…didn’t know…couldn’t hear…

“Kimi,” Haku groaned, and Kimimaro’s eyes flew open as he pulsed up harder into Haku’s body. They watched one another, mouths and eyes mirroring one another’s in need and desperation. Haku was all debauched beauty and hesitating desire; Kimimaro wanted to drown in the bliss of body and the wicked glimpses of a shadowy lover in his mind's eye.

“Promise me,” Haku said, voice level for all his shaking and tensing musculature.

“I’ll do it,” Kimimaro said immediately. “For you, I’ll do it.”

A blur of fast breathing and slicked bodies made the contract between them, and the world fell away into unimportance. Haku called out and let go of Kimi’s wrists to fall backward, catching himself with stiffened arms, entire body shaking as the angle changed and Kimi’s hand circled his bobbing dick. It went on and on, and Kimimaro cried out at the insatiable need in Haku. It was too good, too simple, too everything, and Kimimaro gasped a warning--

“Going to come, Haku, oh  _ fuck _ – ” 

\-- and Haku found balance and his hips rose as Haku reached up to the base of his own throat before dragging his nails down his body in a vicious rake that left behind reddening welts and crimson droplets. He slammed down into the cradle of Kimi’s thighs and came in complete silence, blood oozing, head back, body rolling, hair plastered to his cheek. Kimimaro followed a second later, the sight and feel of Haku pure perfection.

“Good,” Haku breathed as he rose and fell to one side, catching himself on an elbow and then giving out as Haku’s entire body curled and pooled in a swirl of hair, angry welts, and lithe limbs. 

“Good,” Kimimaro sighed, body languid and loose. He didn’t remember Haku moving, didn’t know the mechanics, but he opened his eyes in the middle of the night to blink into damp hair. A dream followed Kimi to consciousness: smoke rising from the black folder, forming a figure that bent and whispered and beguiled. Kimimaro’s skin dimpled in goose flesh as he shivered and pulled Haku closer. The boy shifted with a quiet sigh and softer snore. Kimimaro murmured incomprehensible sounds of affection to the shadows at his back and to Haku and let sleep take him once again.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ So that's… HOW many orgasms and this is… Chapter 4? Well. Tells you how the rest is gonna go, doesn't it? :D
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	5. Chapter 5

Getting the signed contract to Master Neji and working out final points of negotiation turned out to be the easy parts of the next few days. Master Neji was gracious and obviously pleased, and honest enough to say this would go over well for both Kimi and with the VIP whom Kimi would serve the following Saturday night. It made Kimi happy to know he could serve Neji, the club, and the mystery man, and he set about the task of waiting with what he thought would be his usual graceful manner. This was not the first time Kimi scheduled a Scene and had to wait, after all.

Despite his usual decorum, however, Kimimaro found work the following night nearly impossible. Every familiar face became a question: a game to play in Kimi’s mind as he tried to fit features onto the shadowy impression of an unknown Master. The man was mere figment: made of impressions given by handwriting, matter-of-fact prose, and the tips of curling letters on a whited-out signature. 

But the figment threatened to drive Kimi out of what little sanity he had left.

When Masters Iruka and Kakashi came in – Kakashi in leather, harness, high collar, plugged and on lead with Iruka in a dark suit and fedora – and Iruka smiled and nodded at Kimimaro, the shadow lover became the friendly college professor. The thought made Kimimaro want to laugh, as he’d never seen two men more in love than Iruka and his devil-may-care submissive, and such a love was not…shared. 

Master Kiba was there that night, too, and he was jovial with Master Neji, who was in attendance without his Shikamaru, as the Nara was home sick with a cold. Kimimaro knew Master Neji was only staying for a short while that night to greet two new members before he fled home to his lover. Watching Neji surreptitiously check his watch every five minutes made Kimi smile through his routine, and he knew that Neji was not a candidate. Nor was Kiba, as everyone knew his quest for a certain redheaded DJ was ongoing. 

So, who, then, Kimimaro asked himself a dozen times, torturing himself as he danced for a small group of men and women familiar by face but not by name. None of them were VIPs, so Kimi discounted them out of hand, but when Masters Naruto and Sasuke came into the club and the Uchiha shot Kimi an amused smirk, Kimi nearly fell on his ass.

Recovering quickly and gyrating out of habit and muscle memory, Kimimaro comforted himself with the knowledge that he knew what Naruto’s handwriting looked like, and it was nothing like the gothic scrawl that covered the well-read pages in Kimimaro’s black folder. And Kimi smiled as he thought of Naruto’s reaction to the idea of Sasuke requesting a private Scene with anyone other than him. That would be…explosive. And truly, Kimimaro didn’t think Sasuke capable of the words of desire and dream that haunted Kimi while awake and asleep.

And Kimi thanked God for it.

Somehow, Kimimaro made it through two nights of work and one of leisure, and Haku was there with cards to distract Kimimaro while they watched recorded episodes of  _ So You Think You Can Dance _ , which Kimi didn’t like but Haku loved. 

And Haku was there to remind Kimi on Saturday to eat and shower and that it didn’t matter what Kimi wore.

“You’re only going to take it off, yes?” Haku asked.

With more nerves than sense in his body and mind, Kimimaro nodded, pulling on a t-shirt and old jeans with force and finality.

“Come hold me?”

Kimimaro dutifully obeyed, happily holding Haku and talking quietly about nothing until it was time to go. 

“I wish I could drive you,” Haku said at the door. He stood with his hands behind his back and nibbled his lower lip.

“You’ll be here when I get back tomorrow?” Kimimaro asked, wanting to focus on what Haku could do as opposed to what he couldn’t.

“Yes,” Haku replied, nodding. “I’ll stay here…and be waiting.” The smile he gave Kimi was hesitant but genuine, and Kimimaro sighed with his entire body. 

“Thank you,” he said, reaching to tuck hair behind Haku’s ear. The smaller man blushed and leaned into the touch. 

“You’ll tell me…?” Haku asked, dark eyes searching Kimimaro’s for answers Kimi wished he had.

“I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

“En…enjoy it, Kimimaro. For both of us?”

“I will.” Kimimaro kissed Haku and turned to go before stalling made him late. The drive to Break was a blur, and Kimi parked his Toyota in tier one parking, getting out and climbing up the steps to reach the top of the plateau. Bliss was open tonight, Break was not, and the cathedral doors were open wide to the late-evening air. Kimimaro kept his head down as he went inside, turned right, and used a passkey shaped like a sword hanging from his keychain to open the door leading back to the office. He used the passkey again on the heavy, oak doors leading to Break, and Kimimaro descended the stone stairs with a heart that threatened to beat out of his chest.

The doors at the bottom of the stairs were open, the lights bolted into the stone walls of the ‘combs were lit, but the coat check was deserted. The doors into Break proper were closed, and Kimi passed by them on his way to his designated room. The hallway seemed far longer than usual, and Kimimaro’s hand shook as he reached for his passkey again to open the door to the room marked 13. 

Fussing at himself for being such a nervous fool, Kimimaro walked into the room to find it lit, clean, and ready. The Crypts, as they were called, came equipped with some standard furniture: large bed, one chair, bench, trunk for linens, baskets for soiled laundry. A first aid kit was mounted on the wall next to a fire extinguisher, and there were condoms, wet wipes, and other such things on a table. The bathroom had a shower and tub, sink, and toilet.

Kimimaro let the door close and slowly walked to the foot of the queen-sized bed, arms crossing over his chest. The bed was stripped to the black flat sheet, but there were pillows and a folded blanket nearby in the chair. Bolted into the ground, the bed had no headboard or footboard; instead, metal plates with multiple rings were bolted into the stone wall at regular intervals above the head of the bed. The metal plates on the floor around the legs had more rings for attaching anything one wanted: straps to sub. 

Tonight, Kimi saw, the bed was prepped with leather restraints that ran under the mattress and hung like black tongues down to the rug on the floor. Two chains came down from the metal plate behind the bed, and Kimi’s eyes followed the links to the heavy-duty, lined leather cuffs that rested benignly on the mattress. In front of the cuffs was a padded matching blindfold with buckling straps. Licking his lips, Kimi’s focus shifted to gaze at a rolling cart covered in a medical drape that stood near the bed. He could probably line-item list what the drape covered, but that didn’t stop his knees from feeling weak.

Swallowing and thinking about unknown Masters and letting the fear and anticipation make a boiling stew in his stomach, Kimi turned and sat on the very end of the bed. He knew someone was supposed to be here to help him. When Master Neji insisted on that stipulation, Kimimaro bowed to his will with carefully concealed amusement. 

Now that he was here, however, Kimimaro found himself grateful to Neji for his foresight. Kimimaro hadn’t really let himself ponder the crazy, fearful, thrill it would be to get ready and lay and wait for his anonymous Master. That combined with his base emotional state might not…go very well.

Truly, Kimi thought, he needed tonight. Apparently he wasn’t thinking or feeling clearly on any front. It wasn’t like him to be so easily affected, despite the long list of mitigating factors.

Besides being practical, the helper might give Kimimaro some clue as to who the VIP would be. Secretly, Kimimaro suspected the helper  _ was _ the VIP; it made sense for Master Neji to insist he be there and for the rest of the game. Get Kimi set up, pretend to leave, come back and – 

A knock came at the door, and Kimimaro had just enough time to stand up before a very familiar man appeared in the room.

“Kimimaro,” Kakashi said, easy smile splitting his face as he closed the door. “Sorry I’m late.” 

Mind whirling with possibilities, Kimimaro straightened to speak and bow, but Kakashi closed the distance between them and wrapped Kimimaro into a hug that shocked Kimi speechless. The gray-haired man said nothing, and Kimi’s mouth worked, trying to think of something to say. A note of gratitude or confusion or something.

“M-Master…Kakashi?” Kimimaro managed, and the other man hummed, the sound chiding, sarcastic, and affirmative all at once. Kimimaro hesitantly brought his arms up to hug the man back, and something strange happened: Kimi suddenly clung to Kakashi tightly. A rush of breathless anxiety, unsatisfied curiosity, unchecked hope, and undiluted need welled up in Kimi and filled him with cold terror.

“Safe,” Kakashi said, holding onto Kimi with strong arms. “You’re safe, I’m here for a while, and I’ve got you.”

For an awful moment, Kimimaro had no idea what in the hell was wrong with him, and he felt so ashamed he wanted to sink into the floor, despite Kakashi’s soothing words and soft sounds of reassurance. Realization hit, stone dropping into a frozen pond, and Kimi understood that he wanted Kakashi to be the unknown Master. Wanted it because Kakashi was safe and good and  _ noble _ . But also because he knew how to love, and Kimimaro wanted so badly to be the focus of that kind of affection from someone who controlled and took away choice that Kimimaro’s lips lost feeling and he started to shake. 

“I know it’s been a rough year,” Kakashi said gently. “Tonight’s going to be a good night, and I’m here to help you get it started, and if you want, I’ll watch the feed to make sure it goes like you need it to go.”

“Yes,” Kimimaro said immediately, voice rough in an odd mixture of relief and disappointment. If Kakashi watched from somewhere else, then…but maybe it was part of the game? Kimimaro didn’t know, and it wasn’t like him to try to figure out his Master’s wishes – even unknown Masters. He did as they wanted: how, when, where, and why. But he felt confused and lost and unable to do what he did best: please.

“No safewords with me, Kimi,” Kakashi said, pulling back to look Kimimaro in the eye. Kimi could only stare back at the mismatched, studious gaze, swallowing. 

“You want to stop, you say, ‘I can’t do this, Kakashi’ or any variant thereof and you’re unbound and out of here with no recrimination from anyone.” Kakashi studied Kimimaro for a long few seconds before he seemed to see something that made him nod and smile. “But personally? I think you want this in a bad way, and if you let me, I’ll help you make a pretty picture for your mystery man. I know you agreeing to this and being here pleases him very, very much.” The smile grew wider, as Kimi’s breath caught, and for the life of him, Kimimaro couldn’t make his mouth work.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Kakashi said, one hand cupping Kimi’s cheek. “Let’s get you more comfortable?” 

Kimimaro noticed that the tone and smile were light, but Kakashi’s eyes were intent. The bartender didn’t move or push or say anything else: just waited, patiently stroking Kimi’s cheekbone with one thumb. The touch soothed Kimimaro, and he sighed, upset with himself all over again for being so easy.

“Thank you, Master Kakashi.” 

“No problem,” Kakashi answered, stepping away to stand by the bed. 

His back to Kakashi, Kimimaro unceremoniously pulled off his t-shirt, shoes, socks, and jeans. He folded the clothing neatly and set it down on the bench, since he knew they weren’t scheduled to use it in any capacity tonight. 

“You know,” Kakashi said as Kimimaro crawled onto the bed and, recalling the entire setup from the paperwork, turned to lie down on his back. “I’ve always wanted to know: how many do you have, exactly?” Kakashi brushed Kimimaro’s ear.

“I have 50 piercings,” Kimimaro answered respectfully as he shifted up on the bed and held up his wrists for the cuffs. 

Kakashi whistled. “And you make them all look good.” Kakashi said, buckling on the cuffs. “Okay?” he asked when he was done, tugging on the binding.

Kimimaro tested the fit, happy to see that there was plenty of give in the chain and that the cuffs weren’t to be hooked together. He rested his arms on the bed and gave Kakashi a nod, making the gray-haired man hum tunelessly as he walked over to the cart to retrieve a small, plastic package from beneath the drape.

“You ever done the anonymous master bit?” Kakashi asked, returning and sitting on the bed next to Kimi.

“Not like this,” Kimimaro replied. “On the floor, blindfolded and not sure who did what, but not…” Kimimaro swallowed and thought of a stranger’s hands on his skin and shivered in want and curiosity and a hundred other things. “Not quite like this, Master Kakashi.”

Nodding, Kakashi reached to grab the blindfold and smiled at Kimimaro in a way that made heat rise to Kimi’s cheeks.

“Few things to go over,” Kakashi said. “That your mystery date wanted me to cover.”

“Of course,” Kimi answered.

“Safewords for the evening?”

“Yellow and red,” Kimi answered, thankful they were easy. Not that Kimimaro planned on using them.

“And I know you’ve negotiated a time limit along with the rest of the Scene, yes?” Kakashi asked. “An hour at most, isn't it? For the main event, I mean.”

Kimi nodded. “Master Neji felt that since I’ve not experienced…” Kimi smiled a little, not quite meeting Kakashi’s gaze. “The main event, as you say, that a time limit would be a good idea.”

Kakashi grunted, grinned, and winked. “Knows you don’t say ‘uncle’ regularly, does he?”

“It’s not usually necessary,” Kimimaro hedged.

Kakashi laughed. “Oh, God, that sounds familiar. Right. So clock there,” Kakashi pointed to a small table in easy line-of-sight from the bed. “And he added the straps to make sure you don’t flail yourself off the bed.” Kakashi grinned. “Never know how one’s going to react.”

Kimimaro’s lips tightened. “I do not…flail…Master Kakashi, with all due respect.”

“Of course not,” Kakashi said, expression unreadable. “How silly of me.” He grinned. “And your man’s agreed to all points.” Kakashi chuckled. “Almost eagerly. Which is weird for him.” He shook his head and winked again at Kimimaro.

The artfully-spilled detail about his Master for the evening made Kimimaro’s heart flutter and beat harder against his breastbone. “Thank you,” he whispered, eyes closing as he swallowed rising heat.

Kakashi spoke as though he didn’t hear Kimimaro, tone serious. “Now an important part: the sensory deprivation won’t add more risk, necessarily, as you’ll be able to talk. He didn’t want to lose the use of your mouth.” Kakashi flashed a grin that Kimimaro returned with a smile, calmer with every second he spent with the charismatic man. 

“And he asked me to relay and remind you that he wants your voice,” Kakashi said, all business again. “Moan, plead, beg, ask, and by all means tell him how things feel.” 

Kimimaro nodded. “I understand,” he said, taking the instructions again to heart, though he’d memorized the particular passage in the initial request letter that discussed how much his Master wanted to hear him.

“All good, then,” Kakashi said, smirking. “Talk ‘til you can’t do anything else but moan, right?”

“Erm, yes,” Kimimaro replied.

Chuckling, Kakashi moved closer to Kimimaro, eyes affectionate again as he reached to tip Kimi’s chin to make their gazes meet. “Here’s how this is going to work: I’m going to do the blindfold first, that’s easy. Then one ear, leaving the other undone. I’ll text the dom for the night, let him know we’re ready at that point, and he’s going to do the other ear. Sound like a plan?”

Kimimaro nodded, slowly, hoping with an intensity that made him ache that perhaps he’d get to hear a word or two before he was deprived of noise. It was an insane hope – not outlined anywhere in the agreement, and probably against what Master wanted for the Scene, but…a hope that existed, nonetheless.

“And I’ll be watching,” Kakashi said, thumb stroking Kimi’s cheek again. Kimi turned toward the touch and was shocked when a tiny noise escaped his throat. 

“God…he’s going to love you,” Kakashi said with a sigh. “Hell,  _ I _ do, and it’s been ten minutes. Usually harder to win me over.” He smiled.

“It’s been longer than that,” Kimimaro pointed out quietly. “But I take your meaning.”

“Good,” Kakashi said, pleased. He picked up the blindfold, and Kimimaro dutifully raised his head. Kakashi had it on, in position, and buckled in a handful of seconds, and Kimimaro rested back down on the mattress, eyes closed behind the trap of darkness.

“Turn your head for me,” Kakashi said quietly, and Kimi obeyed, exposing one pierced, studded, and ringed ear. The earplug was wax, and Kimimaro held completely still as Kakashi manipulated it into place. 

“Can you hear me now?” Kakashi asked.

“Yes?” Kimimaro asked, somewhat confused as one ear was still clear.

“Good.”

Kimimaro frowned, got the reference, and laughed, a surprised sound. The earlier nerves and swirling chaos faded further, leaving Kimi pleasantly eager and on edge. 

Kakashi stroked one finger along the side of Kimi’s cheek. “Texting your date for the evening,” he said, and Kimimaro heard the faint clicking of a tiny keyboard. It didn’t escape Kimi’s attention that Kakashi did the text one-handed so that he could continue to touch Kimimaro. A nice bit of comfort; something Kakashi would think to do without really thinking at all. Kimimaro swallowed, hoping for so many things all at once that he had to force himself to breathe slowly and evenly.

_ I’m safe. I can do this. _

Thinking of Haku’s eyes and promises he meant to keep to his young friend and lover, Kimimaro flexed his hands and bent his elbows, resting his arms on the bed. He felt his hair fanned out beneath him, and he pointed both his feet in a stretch before spreading his legs shoulder-width apart. He was comfortable, and he thought the simple pose would please.

“Nice, Kimimaro,” Kakashi praised.

Kimimaro was about to reply, but the door opened and the ability to speak vanished. Stunned silent by a racing heart, Kimimaro’s eyes rolled beneath their lids, and he licked dry lips.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Egads. I knew what's coming, and my heart's racing, anyway. Man, I've so missed this story. *laughs* Thanks, all, for reading!!!
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	6. Chapter 6

“Still here, Kimi,” Kakashi said, and a warm hand rested on Kimi’s chest. “This is me,” Kakashi said, and the hand moved. “He’s here, though, just taking care of some things.”

“T-thank you,” Kimimaro whispered, and adrenaline spilled into Kimi’s veins and fed the insane urgency that started flames in every nerve center of Kimimaro’s body. He heard shoes on flagstones that went soft on the rugs, heard a clink, a cloth being removed – 

_ The table…he got the drape off the table. _

\- and Kimi had to stop himself from holding his breath and then, breathing again, had to stop himself from abjectly begging the stranger to  _ touch _ him: somehow, anyway he wanted, but just…

_ Oh God, please… _

“Soon, soon,” Kakashi soothed, hand stroking lightly. “Little longer, Kimi, just a little longer…”

The lack of sight and only being able to half-hear was suddenly overwhelming and enough to make Kimi nearly angry. It wasn’t like him – none of this was – but he’d never been here before, and it was so stupid for him to compare this to anything else. Oh, Kimi’d played: rough, dirty, good and bad. He knew himself, knew the line he usually had to hold, but he felt his control flaking into a pile of ash and nothing had even  _ happened _ , yet. 

Haku filled Kimi’s mind; the care and love Kimimaro had labored to give and show for a solid year. Knowing Haku waited for him – patiently and alone – made Kimi ache and need in equal proportion, and he yelled at himself over the roar of nerves that no matter what, they had each other, and he needed to  _ calm down _ and remember he was here to please someone else. 

But the internal cry and demand for reason couldn’t overcome the crazy, awful hope that lived in the darkest part of Kimi’s soul where he never looked or wandered as it was so dangerous to do so. In that deep shadow flickered-fired the idea that perhaps this wouldn’t be the only time this Master would want Kimi. The thought made him feel heavy, deep, shame – he didn’t even know how the man played, yet. He knew he was vetted, knew he was experienced, knew plenty to be here…

Knew that this was the man who’d written the only kind of love letter that Kimimaro could ever understand, and hope and lust and submission and love tangled together into a knot and sank into Kimi’s gut, making him emit another tiny noise that he tried to hold back.

“Kimi,” Kakashi’s voice was closer – and Kimimaro realized he’d been trying to curl onto his side: toward where he thought the Master might be. He could feel Kakashi against him, leaning over him to speak, low and soothing.

“Safewords, Kimi.”

“Red and yellow.”

“Good.” Kakashi’s hand pet Kimi’s arm, and it calmed Kimi down a fraction of an inch. “We’re both here, we’ve got you…” Another firmer stroke along Kimi’s arm and Kimi unwound on the bed, chains jangling. 

“Remember what we talked about,” Kakashi said softly. “He wants your voice, remember?”

“I-I’m sorry…” Kimimaro said, feeling utterly and hopelessly out of control. “I just want…I’m…I…” The words wouldn’t come, and Kimimaro panicked; the night had barely begun and already he was disappointing the man he wanted so desperately to please. He needed, he wanted, he had to - 

“You just want what, sweet boy?”

Kimimaro froze on the bed with a small, hiccoughing suck of air. He didn’t recognize the voice, but it was rich and smooth. Behind the blindfold, Kimi’s eyes opened, and images of hot chocolate on snowy, winter days danced in Kimimaro’s mind; of old leather with chilly buckles, warm blankets under distant stars, hot springs steaming in sub-zero temperatures. It was…beautiful. 

He didn’t realize until that moment that he hoped not to know the voice, should he hear it, and Kimimaro swallowed around the lump in the back of his throat.

“Answer him, Kimimaro,” Kakashi said gently.

“You, Master,” Kimimaro said, voice rough but suitably servile, words coming as though magically called forth by the aural comfort of his Master’s words. “Forgive me, but I’m aching for your touch and humbled by the gift of your voice.”

A cool, dry hand circled and then gripped Kimimaro’s ankle. Kimi didn’t move, and the hand squeezed, released the hold, and started stroking Kimimaro’s leg, fingers light with feather touch.

“Thank you, Master…thank you…” Kimi said, feeling the gratitude to the very depth of his being and not caring that he was so undone so fast by things so simple.

“Letting go now, Kimi,” Kakashi said, and the warm hand left his chest and the presence left his side. 

“Thank you, Master Kakashi,” Kimimaro said quietly.

“You’re very welcome. Enjoy.”

The bed shifted as Kakashi got up, and Kimimaro strained to remain still and compliant as he heard the door open and close. He licked his lips, heard rattling movement and quickly identified it as the cart shifting position. Master pulling it closer, no doubt, getting ready to begin. The fingertips on Kimimaro's leg never lost their contact, and when the rattling stopped, the touch moved upward over knee, thigh, and hip, pausing to brush the dermal in the skin near the bone. The man didn’t make a noise, didn’t utter a word, but the fingertips left hyper-sensitized skin in their wake as they swept upward to Kimi’s shoulder. Shivering, Kimi tilted his head toward the touch only to feel a careful hand clasp his chin and gently push it in the other direction. 

_ The other ear…of course… _

“Yes, Master,” Kimimaro said to the unspoken command and obediently turned his head. He struggled to swallow, throat feeling thick, and wondered at himself. The chasm between expectation and actuality was a sucking maw in the back of Kimimaro’s mind. There was nothing in the letter or the contract to indicate this man would be anything less than responsible. Courteous. True to his word and what he wanted for them both.

But knowing that intellectually and feeling it physically were two different things, entirely, and Kimimaro whimpered when something soft brushed the shell of his ear. It took three kisses for Kimi to realize what was happening, and he bit his lip, teeth catching on a ring.

“Good.”

The single word forced Kimi’s hands into fists and the next noise he made was amplified as wax worked into his ear and blocked external sound. A hand rubbed his side; made him relax. Kimi breathed, getting used to how loud the noise was with his ears plugged.

“Thank you, Master,” Kimimaro said, and discovered he couldn’t tell how loudly he spoke. It’d been a very long while since Kimimaro was deprived of both his sight and hearing, and time rendered the experience practically useless. He focused on the hand on his skin, noting the differences between fingertips and palm; between reassuring pressure and teasing caress.

When the mattress shifted and the hand on Kimi’s side moved lower, resting on his thigh, Kimimaro’s heart started to pound faster. That sound was amplified as well, the pulse both comforting and disconcerting. Remembering the letter and what came next, Kimimaro felt his lips part, lower one trembling, and he carefully spread his legs wider. Hands squeezed both his thighs, and it hit Kimimaro hard that he didn’t know if that meant  _ stop moving, _ or  _ that’s good, _ or  _ something’s coming. _

A second later and Kimi learned it meant Master would stop touching, and Kimimaro rested in anticipatory hell. He couldn’t hear the rasp and snap of gloves, but he envisioned them sliding onto shapely, strong hands. He couldn’t see the reality, but his mind played a movie of a masculine stranger reaching for instruments on the cart. Kimi’s eyes darted side-to-side under the blindfold, waiting.

The next sensations happened fast and became something of a blur lost in the shock of being thus touched. It wasn’t the first time, but it was the only time in this particular combination with this particular stranger. Gloved hands grasped Kimi’s mostly-flaccid length, moving it with a perfunctory and practiced touch. A swab and the cool sensation of drying skin; the hard tip of plastic and gel oozing inside Kimi’s cock, and the silent sense of satisfaction that Kimi had offset the bars through the head of his dick because he loved sounding and didn’t want aesthetic metal to get in the way of pleasure.

What pressed against his tip and started to slide inside was not the rigid weight Kimi expected, however, and he gasped. Flexible and light, something that felt more like a catheter tube than anything else slowly moved within but not nearly as deeply as a cath or even sound, and Kimi whimpered when it was done all too soon. The hand held him in place, doing something else that Kimimaro couldn’t identify with specifics but could contemplate in imagination, and Kimimaro hardened, his breathing kicking up as he felt the alien object flex while muscle and blood shifted. 

“Oh…oh, God…” Kimimaro said, and he thought he said it softly but couldn’t tell. “Master…good, feels…good…thank you.”

The words earned Kimi the faintest of squeezes to his shaft and the tiniest turn to the tube in his cock, and Kimi didn’t try to hold back the noise he made. The hand moved him, adjusted, and then let go slowly: one finger at a time. Again Kimimaro couldn’t see, but he could envision what came next, and the thought made him groan louder, large muscles in his thighs twitching. Bare hands brushed the inside of both of Kimi’s knees, and immediately Kimimaro pulled his legs up and wide, happy that his bones and musculature let him split to lay open and easy. He might not be as young as the boy toys in Break; might not be everyone’s cup of specialized tea…

But Kimi could bend, move, slide, glide, and hold himself in ways no one else could manage. 

Kisses to his inner thigh made Kimi pant. “Yes, Master,” he said quietly: encouragement, plea, and answer to unspoken command all at once. “I’m yours to take whatever you see fit to give.”

Master held his mouth to Kimimaro’s thigh and Kimi felt lips spread into a smile. The praise made heat spike down Kimimaro’s spine, and it held him steady as the mouth left and the hands momentarily vanished. The seconds of waiting were well worth it when the touch came back, and a slick gloved finger pressed and massaged Kimi’s anus, working and teasing in equal share.

“Please,” Kimi pleaded. “Yes, please, Master, at your pleasure…” The words were a mumbled bit of long-practiced prose, but here they felt far too true. Kimi shivered as the caress continued, fingertips probing, pressing, slicking. A subjective eternity later and two fingers pressed firmly against Kimi’s body before withdrawing to be replaced by an object without any give. The plug pressed and entered Kimi to a symphony of sighs and soft encouragement, Kimimaro’s spine arching slightly off the bed. Only able to hear himself, Kimi’s breathing was loud and eager, and it was simple just to feel and want and burn, captured as he was within his own skin.

Plug seated, Kimi pressed his knees into the mattress as hands left and returned bare, and Kimimaro gasped when questing fingers sought and touched one bar in his guiche ladder. The touch was gentle – a caress; like the man explored something he’d been wanting to examine. 

“Mm,” Kimi whimpered, understanding and knowing what the other man wanted. “M-Master…please…touch me, yes…oh please…” 

The touches continued, careful and deliberate: a brush, a gentle pull, a press of the lengths of metal beneath skin. A warm palm cupped Kimi’s balls, and he felt the exploration continue up the five bars there, every other subtle manipulation pulling a sound from Kimi, who lay still, eager, and trying not to anticipate. He barely felt the fingers on the seven bars of metal up his dick, the touches were so light, but his head jerked when the weight on the bed shifted. Frowning, words bubbled up Kimimaro’s throat, but they dissolved into syllables of sound when a mouth pressed a chaste kiss to his side, a faint fingertip touch ghosting over his hip and stomach. 

“Oh- _ oh _ – ” Kimi grunted when a hot tongue licked a trail to the nipple with only one bar, and he coughed a cry when lips, teeth, and tongue attacked without a trace of the tender nature of the touches to his lower body. The mouth on him was hungry, the teeth unforgiving; the lips pulling with force.

_ “Yes,” _ Kimi managed to half-hiss, position, anxiety, denial and sensation all working too well to drive Kimimaro to where he wanted to be. Strong hands seemed to slide everywhere, nails dragging lightly and making Kimi shudder. He got entirely lost as a hot mouth explored his torso, calling out when teeth bit with perfect depth; moaning when a tongue teased the twice-pierced nipple; going silent when lips found Kimimaro’s neck and let him bare his throat to the onslaught. 

There was nothing in the letter about this; it told what would happen but it never detailed that the Master would make him feel so…so… _ wanted. _ Necessary. The phrase, “Worship him with my mouth” was always something Kimi did – on his knees, on his back, but with his eyes down and his aim to please.

It was not something ever done  _ to _ Kimimaro. Not like this…not even Haku really got to kiss and touch because Kimimaro wouldn’t let him; stopped him before Kimi felt guilty about it and where it might lead.

And kisses like these had never happened at Haze, when Kimi used to play the kind of Scenes where bleeding was the fastest way to win hearts. Certainly his old Master from the long-ago days of twisted desire never…ever…

“Master…? I…I…” Kimi trembled and his heart skipped a beat when the mouth left his skin. Immediately Kimi started to apologize – for something, anything – but the words got trapped between two sets of lips meeting and melding. 

_ Oh…oh God… _

Kimimaro’s hands came off the bed, chain clanking and fingers reaching for a split second before Kimi remembered his purpose and let them fall back onto the soft sheet, boneless. With a soft cry, Kimimaro opened his mouth, feeling a tongue dance with his, and Kimi shook when he felt noise resonate and knew it to be the other man’s groan. A hand reached and twined in Kimimaro’s hair, and Kimi felt soft strands fall against his cheek and arm – 

_ Long hair…he has…long hair… _

\- and a body pressed against his chest. The shirt was soft against Kimi’s bare skin, the warmth of the man beneath the fabric coming through like a fever. Kimi panted hard when Master broke the kiss, and then choked on forgotten words when teeth caught and pulled at a ring through Kimi’s lower lip. When the pressure increased and hot air spilled against Kimi’s chin and mouth, his breathing took on pitched tones of need.

And when Master moved to press his lips against Kimimaro’s cheek and mouthed something that felt for all the world like,  _ beautiful _ …Kimimaro turned his head, gasps roaring over the solid wax and waves of want that burned in his veins and threatened to stop his heart.

Movement – moments passing – and Kimimaro felt palms stroking all over followed by a width of leather securing down his torso. Calm settled and rocked Kimimaro with a gentle sway, enforced by hands helping him move and another strap coming over and pressing down on his thighs. He felt kisses on the skin of his ankles, felt them clasped by soft fur, held in place, and Kimimaro rode submission out to sea. He felt lips against his in a light kiss, and Kimi tried to lift off the bed for more when his entire body jerked hard with an unfamiliar jolt of sensation.

Kimimaro didn’t speak, didn’t move, and barely had time to relax against the leather and chain that held him down on the bed when it pulsed again – not as jarring this time but plenty enough to make Kimimaro’s breathing stop and start; grow hectic, get erratic.

The third pulse  _ lingered _ and tingling, hot, nearly-impossible sensation shot down Kimimaro’s cock, through his balls, up his ass, over his prostate, and then spread in a crackle-fire of feeling that made Kimi think he might lose his mind in the nanosecond before it stopped. 

“Fuck,” Kimimaro grunted, and his brain tried to work – to show him carefully detailed, curling script that said this would happen; that warned, told, and explained electro-stimulation in a language even the most clueless could understand – but the neurons misfired when three quick pulses made Kimi strain against the bed and straps, body bucking.

Hands on his body, mouth on his nipple, the tingling sensation in his balls and dick continued in the down time, and Kimimaro relearned how to breathe. His ass clenched hard around the plug, and he jerked in pleasure and torment. A thumb caressed his parted lips, fingers pressing against his cheek, and Kimi’s first attempt to speak failed. He swallowed and tried again.

“More?” Kimimaro asked, head turning into the touch and voice a whisper and not much else. “Please? More, Master?”

Fingertips caressed Kimi’s cheek, lips brushed his, and the pulsing was back – uneven, varied, demanding. Kimimaro thought he might go deaf from the sound of his own labored breathing, and when the pulses sped up to short, staccato bursts, Kimimaro’s grunts and moans rose in crescendo in his own skull. Wicked, awful, perfect, and delicious, Kimimaro revelled that he didn’t know what came next; couldn’t predict the waves, and he moaned praises and pleases as he was shoved hard out of his mind and thoughts and worries, and into a body that rolled and writhed. Kimimaro had no idea how long it went on. Sometimes the shocks were mild, low, and he felt the bed move, knew Master shifted: touching, kissing, stroking skin between pulses. When his cock jumped and entire groin came alive with current, Kimi called out, cried for more and for mercy, and everything got jumbled and tossed into a stream of sensory overload. 

When a biting ebb and flow of electricity made his balls ache, Kimimaro barked a laugh followed by a startled grunt when something lashed across his thigh, above the strap. Kimi tried to form the words – to ask for another – but the pulse bit again, Kimimaro’s cock and torso twitched hard, and he sucked in a shaky breath as something flicked the other thigh. “ _ Nnngh _ – M-mas - ?” 

But Kimimaro didn’t finish the inquiry: the pulses shifted to slow, undulating things that quickly built in intensity – a long ramp up to a bonfire that made Kimi feel  _ insane _ – and Kimimaro yelled and felt the lashes – quick, slap – on each leg. Something brushed his balls, struck thigh again, and there was no reprieve: pulse and hit; jolt and tease. Kimi’s brain fritzed: he tried to remember the plan and couldn’t, he panicked, thrashed, and felt a hot hand on his calf. 

“Close… _ Oh God please yes _ …” Kimimaro bucked and howled: another slash, another, and the damned pulse didn’t let up: didn’t ease or let him breathe or let him come down. It built, and built and felt like it would kill him. “Fuck, fuck,  _ fuck _ -!” Kimimaro yelled, and some part of him knew he should find some respect, but he couldn’t, and he whimpered and babbled in warning.

“So – Oh fucking hell – close.  _ Nnngh. _ I can’t…oh –  _ oh, oh _ – I – ”

Everything stopped, and it took Kimimaro’s breath away. He lay, gasping, shaking, and aching, not knowing if the cease fire was good or bad or part of the Scene. He couldn’t find reason or sense, and the part of his brain not alight with anticipation and fear was startled: getting Kimi here wasn’t easy. A rare treat that would be amazing were Kimimaro not terrified over why Master  _ stopped. _ Usually there were cues: a harsh laugh, a biting word, a bit of praise…a sound. But Kimimaro had no sounds or sights: only silence and stillness and short, gasping, breaths.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ PLEASE NOTE: This is not a how-to manual. While a metric ton of research did go into this, please do be remembering that this is fiction and should be read as such. That said… electro-stim still does it for me. *laughing* As did the shrieks and gasps during the read-alongs when I was recording these chapters (or just reading them; but I think this entire story is recorded. I think). Ooooh… happy memories, happy me.
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	7. Chapter 7

Mouth dry as deserts, Kimimaro coughed. “I-I’m…Master…I don’t…did I…please? I…” He coughed again, whimpered, and stopped trying to speak when he felt pressure over his mouth – a hand. Gentle touches spread over Kimimaro’s body: fingers along his side, a stroke over sweaty skin, a pinch of his nipple, a dipped tongue into his navel, a brush of lips to the side of his rigid cock. 

“Oh,” Kimimaro groaned, lightly licking the palm over his lips. “Master… _ oh _ …”

The hand covering his mouth vanished, and for long seconds ticked off by his thudding heart, Kimimaro waited for what came next. Pressure against his mouth surprised him – lips met but not for a kiss. Kimimaro felt a faint trickle of something sweet wet his skin and then pool on his tongue, and he raised his head, frowning and wondering and working so hard to think and please and earn. The mouth went away, the hand came behind Kimi’s head, and Kimimaro got the straw between his lips and sucked Gatorade with a moan of delight when it hit parched throat. 

_ How long…did we…? _

Kimimaro felt dizzy, sense of time and place completely upside down. He got a few sips, the straw left, and his head was lowered to the mattress. Kimimaro bit his lips, chest rising and falling and sweat rolling to tickle down his sides. “Thank you,” Kimi rasped, shivering when cool fingers traced his jaw. The bed moved again, and Kimi swallowed hard, unsure and on uneven ground and unfamiliar territory. “Master – am I? Was that not –”

Again Master cut Kimimaro short, but this time what pressed against his mouth was not a hand, but the slippery head of a cock. Kimimaro didn’t need to be asked twice: he opened his mouth wide and wider taking in the thick dick and eagerly flicking his pierced tongue along the underside. Vaguely, Kimimaro felt something press into his palm, and Kimi grasped the object, holding tightly, and soundly promising himself not to let go, no matter what. Kimimaro groaned around the length between his lips, squeezing around the plug in his ass and loving the way his cock and balls tingled with sensation that was no longer there, and even to his own ears he sounded grateful, pleased, content. 

Sucking and swallowing with practiced cunning, Kimimaro turned his head to work his Master easier, head rising again to take him deeper. Kimi couldn’t hear the man, but he could feel his dick twitch against Kimimaro’s tongue; Kimi couldn’t see a face of pleasure or knowing command, but he followed with his head and mouth when the man next to him must have bent over Kimi’s prone form, hand hitting the mattress with force. Kimi sighed and made a muffled, eager noise before swallowing, taking it deeper, tongue lapping and lips tight around the width. Hips pulled back and slowly rocked forward into Kimimaro’s mouth and throat, and Kimi offered no resistance, letting Master do as he wished, unconcerned about lack of air, burning throat, or tightening jaw. Kimimaro loved sucking cock, and he’d take it however and whenever the opportunity was given.

Own dick jumping as he felt a stutter in the rhythm driving Master against the back of his throat, Kimi sucked and twisted his head, bobbing and swirling tingling lips. He made sure the metal in his mouth – lip and tongue – worked like it should, and Kimimaro took up the rhythm when the careful thrusting stopped. He groaned, eager, but then the bed shook, Master withdrew, and Kimimaro swallowed a low noise of complaint. Hot breath blew fast and rushed over Kimimaro’s lips, and Kimi couldn’t help but tilt toward the feeling, wanting a kiss like a starving animal in winter. 

Instead of granting Kimi’s wish, however, the mouth withdrew, staying a hair’s width apart from Kimi’s seeking lips. Feeling Master shift again, Kimi suddenly felt a body pressed against his – bare torso along Kimimaro’s side – and Kimimaro sucked in a sigh before his vision flashed white. The current was back – hard and high and all-consuming – and Kimimaro couldn’t even move or speak through the toe-curling, eye-rolling jolt. Something teased his balls – 

_ Crop. Oh fuck, it’s the crop – the letter, it said…oh shit…oh hell…oh yes… _

\- and the current slacked off by one or two degrees only to pulse over....and over…and over, higher and harder, coming faster and faster. Kimimaro found his voice –  _ “Sweet fuck!” _ – at the peak of a pulsation, and in the second or two delay between flashes of heat, the crop lightly stroked Kimimaro’s balls, ran up the side of his shaft, and then rapped so lightly as to not be a rap at all, but with his cock stuffed and the current flaring and jarring, Kimimaro howled a sobbing cry against the face so close to his. 

The sensation stopped, Kimimaro gasped for air, felt a light kiss to his upper lip, and the crop lashed over the marks it laid down earlier on his thighs. Kimimaro grunted, low and needy, but didn’t move, beyond clear speech; out of his mind and babbling in a low mix of cursing and unintelligible noises of need. A heartbeat later, and Kimi’s back bowed when the current pulsed to life again and Kimimaro’s mouth fell open in a silent, shocked screech and he came, pleasure like the crack of a whip down his spine; the waves riding and crashing with the pulses still resounding in his clenching ass, spurting cock, and rhythmically-tightening body.

Panting in low tones of relief, pleasure, and anxiety, Kimimaro floated, head lolling to one side. He flexed his hands and clutched the ball in his fist tightly, not wanting to let go. Kimimaro felt the body against his disappear when the aftershocks stopped and Kimimaro lay pliant against the bed. Master undid the strap over Kimimaro’s legs, undid his ankles from their cuffs, and the soothing touches against his cooling skin made Kimimaro shake. 

“I…I can’t remember – ” Kimimaro abruptly stopped speaking to gasp – both because he spoke when he didn’t mean to and because his voice trembled. Master paid no mind; there were no strikes to Kimi’s skin, no cessation of touch to his legs. Kimimaro jerked, and when he realized he was quietly crying, it felt like Kimimaro was thrust into arctic waters.

Everything was so damned good – too perfect, too easy – and Kimimaro held his breath in the face of forbidden fantasy. He didn’t want to feel such contentment and hope because it would be so damned short-lived, and he struggled, trying to remember the damned letter. But he couldn’t  _ think _ , couldn’t  _ reason _ …couldn’t make himself recall the memorized list of wants and events, and the inability to do so made Kimi angry, achy, and need everything entirely too much. He knew that Master was supposed to find release, and Kimi was fairly sure he hadn’t. Did that mean Kimimaro failed? Or was it okay because that’s how Master wanted this to go? Was Kimi supposed to come now, or…? It was too late to take it back…should he want to? Kimi couldn’t fucking  _ remember… _

Trying to stay calm and force his breathing steady, Kimi’s mind went dull with dread as Master worked to undo restraints and toys. Hands left his skin and came back gloved to slowly remove the plug. Kimimaro bit his lip and didn’t make a sound. A bare hand came back to caress his thigh, squeezing gently, and Kimimaro barely managed to contain the sob that threatened to break. 

_ Think…goddamnit, think… _

But Kimi couldn’t, and he knew he wasn’t supposed to – knew that was the point of the Scene – but Kimimaro rarely ever reached the place where he simply could not reason, preferring to help his Masters seek and hunt pleasure, and a wave of helplessness overrode all else. Kimimaro couldn’t find a happy medium between being the perfect submissive and remembering to work to please Master, and Kimimaro tried just to remain still: hopefully pleasing in his willingness to do anything Master desired of him.

The flexible tube coming out of Kimi’s dick felt like a slow-motion orgasm in reverse, and Kimimaro rasp-panted, momentarily distracted, low whimpering tainting and coloring each rush of air. He felt himself being cleaned, the hands doing so gentle enough to make Kimimaro want to scream and babble thanks at the same time. That task completed, hands and extra weight on the mattress retreated, and Kimimaro struggled with himself in the interim. 

After an age, the strap over his torso came undone, and Kimimaro made a startled noise when leather-clad legs pressed to Kimi’s sides and a torso carefully rested down against his mere seconds later. Master was a long, lean man, composed of heat, bare skin, and gentle touch, and Kimimaro shook all over as Master rested a hand on the mattress near Kimimaro’s head. Fingers brushed up Kimimaro’s jaw and touched the wax in his ear before pinching and working to remove it. Kimi tensed. Sound rushed back, and he swallowed, blinking beneath the blindfold. 

“Lovely…did so well.” The praise was softly spoken, wrapped around soothing noises, and Master worked on the other ear and Kimi identified sound. He heard music – something classical, like Haku enjoyed – and could hear breathing coming from the man straddling him, slow and steady but audible. 

“You can’t remember what, sweet boy?” 

Kimimaro trembled at the sound of the voice, and he heard a low shushing noise, fingers stroking his jaw. 

“Tell me,” the man said, no warning in his words; merely command.

“What comes next. Or who.” Kimimaro winced. “I-I mean…I can’t remember if I did all I should to-- ”

The kiss startled Kimimaro, rendering him speechless. The man’s mouth felt so good against Kimi’s, and he thought about Haku’s kisses: about how sweet they were and how long it’d been before Haku that anyone kissed Kimimaro with kindness.

The Master didn’t kiss sweetly – he kissed purposefully. And Kimimaro swallowed when the other man pulled away. 

“Not yours to remember,” said the voice. “You’ve done nearly everything in the world that pleases me tonight, Kimimaro, and done it all very well.” He paused and Kimimaro stopped breathing so he’d hear every word. “I knew that you would be perfect for what I wanted.” Master breathed deeply, and it shook, but Kimi thought he heard a smile in the next words. “I enjoy being right.”

“I’m honored that you found me pleasing, Master,” Kimimaro murmured.

“More than ‘pleasing,’ sweet boy,” the man said, and Kimimaro jerked when the words were spoken near his ear. Fingers raked through Kimi’s sweaty hair, and he felt them clasp the buckles on the blindfold. “Deserving.”

As the blindfold came off, Kimimaro closed his eyes. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might be visible from the outside. He burned to make this man happy – to continue to make him happy – and his words reverberated in Kimimaro’s mind, easing the fear of failure into something manageable; something much more like eagerness.

Kimi wanted to see the man who so thoroughly stole his will and body, kept them safe, and now worked to give them back, but his eyes wouldn’t obey his brain’s command to  _ open _ and  _ look. _

Knuckles brushed Kimimaro’s cheek, and a hand turned his chin and held him still for another kiss: this one the kind to keep memories warm on cold nights. Kimimaro made a soft noise eaten by the other man’s mouth, which grew more desperate and hungry as the seconds and minutes rolled by. A hand dug and gripped at the back of Kimimaro’s skull, wrapped around his hair, and  _ pulled _ . The pressure ached and made Kimi gasp, eyes opening when the kiss stopped, and he blinked hard and fast in the dim light of the room.

The first thing Kimi noticed were the dark eyes blown to midnight by lust. They gleamed, even in the dull gray-brown murk of the Crypt, and looked at Kimi with such fierce need, fire, and single-minded intent that Kimi squirmed beneath the weight of the stare. 

Despite the ferocity in his gaze, however, Master looked weary – circles beneath his eyes marring what could only be described in Kimi’s mind as beauty. Master and his brother shared the same tilt of eye, the same length of nose, the same height of cheekbones, but the elder man atop Kimimaro had an oval face, much longer, lighter hair, and was a taller, more muscular version of the lithe sylph, Sasuke. 

Master Itachi rose up, releasing Kimimaro’s hair, looking down at him with a steady, slow-burn, and Kimimaro saw images flash through his mind. Quicker than heartbeats, he saw Itachi, much younger, touring around with Lord Pein at Haze; saw him beneath the whips of old Master Kisame and Lord Pein, himself. Kimi recalled an image of Itachi standing in dark robes in a doorway, hands behind his back, as a young man slowly walked into the room behind him and the infamous switch-Master Itachi caught Kimimaro’s stare for a second, face expressionless. Kimi had turned away, leaned against his old Master’s leg, and Orochimaru’s hand came down to rest on top of Kimi’s head. 

Long ago, now, all of that, and thank God for it, Kimi thought, swallowing as he stared up at the man made to scream in agony more than once at Haze while Kimimaro watched with various gathered masters and pets. It wasn’t long after that Master Itachi vanished from Haze and everywhere else; moved out into the country to manage what little of his family’s business needed minding and, it was rumored, to practice a trade as a magician: an illusionist, to be precise. Kimimaro knew that Master Itachi still played with Lord Pein on occasion, but thought they were more…odd friends than anything else, these days. He knew that Sasuke and Itachi had reconciled their differences, whatever those had been, and he knew that Master Kiba had worked over Itachi quite well but much, much  _ kinder _ than most in Itachi’s past only a few short weeks ago on the floor of Break.

The information collided, danced, and twisted with the love letter, the night, and the expanses of pale skin Kimimaro could see. He knew Itachi’s back was not smooth: it was marred with scars, much like his and Haku’s. Kimimaro considered choices – wondered at the man in undone leather pants on top of him and how such a beautiful creature capable of nights like this could choose to be so maimed and punished and humiliated. 

The pictures and impressions were flash-fires in Kimimaro’s overwrought brain. He blinked, and a tear escaped the corner of his eye. Itachi let it fall, but his eyes flickered to watch its path. Kimi’s eyes finally tore away from the perfect face to gaze over chest, pale nipples, and dark hair that feathered in a “V,” fading before reappearing below Itachi’s navel, getting thicker above a wide cock trapped half-in and half-out of his pants. Kimimaro licked his lips, all thoughts of ancient history forgotten in the undertow of want.

“See something you like, sweet boy?” Itachi mumbled, and the movement of his mouth was mesmerizing. Itachi rose up on his knees to pull out his dick and stroke it to swift fullness. Kimimaro thought it looked hard enough to hurt and make one’s balls ache, and he deliberately licked his lower lip, flashing the barbell through his tongue as he did it.

“Yes, Master, I see only things I like.”

Itachi half-smiled, the original version of the Uchiha patented smirk, and Kimimaro loved the expression on the man above him. “You’ve done very well tonight, Kimimaro…taken so much, given me more than I thought possible.”

“But not given you everything, Master,” Kimimaro said reverently. “Earlier…you said I’d done ‘almost’ everything that pleases you.” Kimimaro pulled at the chains and cuffs that still bound his hands, tilting up his chin with his eyes on the prize. “I wish to do any and all things that please you, Master, should you choose to be so generous.”

“Hn,” Itachi hummed, considering, and it seemed the man rarely ever blinked. “So you will suck my cock and drink my cum,” he said, as though enumerating driving directions. He shifted forward to the sound of Kimimaro’s moan, one eyebrow going up as Kimi’s lips parted. “As that is the kind of generosity I enjoy.”

“With pleasure, Master,” Kimimaro said in a rush, and his eyes closed in delight when Itachi’s cock stretched his mouth and nearly choked him with a none-too-gentle twitch of his hips. 

“Down,” Itachi ordered, voice strained and one hand on Kimimaro’s shoulder. Kimi obeyed, moving down to the full length of the chain while Master Itachi braced against the stone wall and bed, groaning with abandon when Kimimaro’s piercing toyed with the head of Itachi’s cock.

Seconds later, and Kimimaro had Itachi panting hard, some of the blasts of air tinged with whimpers. Kimimaro burned to have such an effect on such a man, felt like the pleasure would engulf and bury him alive, and he groaned before raising up to suck and swallow, nose brushing dark curls. 

“Shit,” Itachi spat. “Good, Kimimaro, oh God, good…” He sucked air into his lungs and chuckled, dazedly, when Kimimaro pulled back and let Itachi set the pace, licking vicious strokes to the underside of the length in his mouth that felt so very perfect as it blocked air and stretched his jaw. 

“Watching you…take what I gave…was almost enough to undo me. Won’t be long, now –  _ oh _ .” Itachi sputtered. “ _ Oooh _ …” His pace quickened, and Kimimaro took it, hands relaxed in their cuffs, ball still in his palm, legs spread on the mattress, and eyes at half-mast. 

_ Perfect…perfect…he’s so… _

“ _ Mmm-nnnss,” _ Itachi gritted through his teeth, a moan and then a hiss, and Kimi dragged tongue and piercing, tight seal of his lips never wavering as Master Itachi’s thrusts grew jerky and faltered. 

“Fuck,” Itachi said, very softly, voice higher than normal. The rolling body above Kimi went rigid, and Kimimaro sighed when Itachi’s dick spasmed and the man came with a rush of air and a noise trapped in the back of his throat. Rolling his eyes, Kimimaro felt and saw Master Itachi half-collapse onto the bed, eyes down to watch Kimi, gazes meeting for a second before Kimimaro closed his eyes and greedily moaned as he swallowed and swallowed again, shoulders and body relaxing onto the bed. Itachi moaned Kimi’s name into the mattress, muffled voice making Kimimaro shiver.

Lapping gently at the length slowly softening between his lips, Kimi looked up after a moment suspended in afterglow to watch Itachi sit up, pull out, and catch himself with one hand, deliberately smearing Kimimaro’s lower lip with spit and cum. With flowing movement that defied physics, Itachi slid down to kiss Kimimaro, sucking his lower lip with a lash of tongue before devouring Kimi’s mouth. One of Itachi’s hands traced up Kimimaro’s arms, and he broke the kiss to unbuckle each cuff, looking back down at Kimi as Itachi rubbed sore wrists with one hand. He smiled, a tilt of lips and nothing more, and bent to kiss Kimi’s as he took the ball out of Kimimaro’s palm, tossing it to one side.

“Thank you,” Itachi said, kissing Kimimaro’s forehead and making the contortionist want to squirm or cry or embrace or maybe all of the above. Of  _ course _ Master Itachi would thank Kimi; of course he would be polite and present for aftercare. 

But Kimimaro never thought in a thousand years that someone who would want Kimi would also be so…kind. And beautiful. And give Kimi such exquisite pain and relief with such poetry and grace.

“What is it?” Itachi asked when Kimimaro went quiet and still. Itachi’s hands roamed and soothed as he lay resting against Kimimaro, body propped up on one elbow.

“Everything is as it should be, Master,” Kimi answered on automatic, eyes down and shivering uncontrollably at the combination of touch and post-Scene denouement.

“Itachi,” the man corrected, and Kimi looked up to meet dark brown eyes. “The title is fine while we play, and I know you prefer it, but I don’t own you, Kimimaro, and to me that is what the title implies.” The hand on Kimimaro’s side increased in pressure, a comforting gesture. “Though…I wouldn’t mind talking sometime about something more long term…” His voice trailed off, an afterthought spoken almost to himself.

Kimimaro lowered his arms and cradled them to his chest, which suddenly heaved. He closed his eyes, turning his head into the mattress, and for an awful and amazing second he let himself  _ hope.  _

He thought it might tear him in half.

“Kimimaro?” Itachi asked, immediately moving closer, voice still calm and arm comforting. “The discussion can wait until later. I just meant that I enjoyed myself, and I’ve known of you and seen you for a long – ”

The sound Kimimaro made embarrassed him, and he thought of Haku trying to turn his head and hide as Kimi let his damp hair obscure his face. 

Arms circled Kimimaro, soothing sounds pouring from a mouth that Kimimaro ached to taste again. “I’m sorry,” Itachi apologized. “It’s been some time since I’ve been in the business of aftercare. Just rest, sweet boy, you’ve more than earned it…” He trailed off, fingers gently petting skin, and behind his hair, Kimimaro blinked slowly.

“It’s…wonderful, Mas…” Kimimaro couldn’t make himself say the man’s first name. He just  _ couldn’t. _

“It’s all right, Kimimaro. There’s no wrong here, just peace.” Itachi hugged Kimimaro, turning him onto his side with care that made the ache flare brighter in Kimi’s mind, and Itachi rubbed Kimimaro’s back. The clock on the table quietly ticked, the music shut off as the trembling stopped, and Kimimaro relaxed into the bed and against Itachi, the silence in the room growing thoughtful.

“Haze,” Itachi said after long moments, reserved voice soft and light. “I knew you at Haze when you were with your former master.”

Kimimaro nodded.

“You were…kept then.”

Another nod, and Kimimaro closed his eyes.

“But not since, correct?”

“Correct,” Kimimaro croaked.

The arms around Kimimaro tightened. “And you want to be.”

Kimimaro thought of Haku, of how impossible it’d be for someone to take on both of them, and how god-awful it’d be for this man to want Kimimaro but not Haku. Kimi knew he could never live with himself if he agreed to such a state, but right now being in this man’s arms made it so hard to think about being anywhere else. 

“I see,” Itachi said, and he wrapped Kimi up in an embrace made of arms and leg, pulling him close and making soft sounds of comfort. Kimimaro didn’t realize he was crying until he sniffed, and shame burned bright for an instant before fading away beneath the weight of the body against and around him.

More time passed, unremarked, and finally Itachi pulled back, brushing Kimi’s hair away from his face to look at him. “I’m going to get up, get out of my pants, and grab pillows and a blanket from that chair. I’ll return and hold you for as long as you want or need.” Dark eyes searched Kimimaro’s and he could only nod, voice lost.

“Good,” Itachi said with a sigh. He tucked hair behind Kimi’s ear. “Sweet boy…”

Lying on the bed and watching, Kimimaro tried not to think as Itachi stripped out of the leather pants and tossed them aside. His body was marvelous, and Kimi ached again as Itachi left his line of sight. The sound of fabric shifting told Kimimaro what Itachi did, and seconds later, Itachi knelt on the bed and offered the Gatorade. “Drink some for me.”

Obediently, Kimimaro sat up, draining half the bottle while Itachi spread the blanket and put pillows down near their heads. Kimimaro’s groin still tingled from the earlier treatment, and it made him sigh as he settled. Itachi surprised him by going around the bed to climb behind Kimi, quickly pressing against him, spooning, and adjusting the cover with a soft noise of frustration when one corner wouldn’t cooperate.

“Thank you…Itachi,” Kimimaro managed to say.

“Mm,” Itachi sighed, hugging Kimimaro close. “I like holding you, Kimimaro. I think…I think I could even rest.”

“Please do,” Kimimaro said, eyes closing. “Stay…and rest.”

The arm around Kimi squeezed, and he let himself hope and yearn until his heart felt sick and half-empty, eventually dozing off to the sound of Itachi’s slowed breathing.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for the Great & Wonderful DETAILS:
> 
> 1\. What Neji said to Kimimaro was that at the time of the initial request, Itachi was not known to him. That's Neji-speak for, "I didn't know him well enough to understand if he would work with you." Neji would know Itachi's entire history and what Kimimaro and Haku are up to; he'd want to consider the hell out of that before letting Itachi have at Kimimaro.  
> 2\. Itachi is a switch. He's introduced as such in R&B. Just because he subs for Kiba once does not make him only a submissive. We learn more about Itachi's history in future chapters.  
> 3\. The night in R&B is the first time Itachi comes to the club in official capacity. He probably had a private tour of the facility beforehand with Naruto. It's safe to assume Itachi knew Kimimaro worked at Break, as obviously he had his eye on Kimimaro for a while, and knew him from the days at Haze. The Scene community tends to be small and rather incestuous; people keep tabs on others. During the tour, Itachi could easily have met/been reintroduced to Kimimaro. We already know that Kimimaro is there on off-hours to prepare the place or rehearse his routines.  
> 4\. It's important to note that Itachi is initially a VIP because he is Sasuke's brother. Neji and the owners would want a warm reception for such a person considering Itachi and Sasuke are recently reconciled and all the connections therein. Not to mention Itachi represents a lot of money.  
> 5\. "VIP" is a status at the club, yes, (one that is being reviewed/solidified at the beginning of this story) but there are two ways to think of that term: one is the club status that has to do with membership dues and the other is, just as the acronym states, a "very important person." During R&B, Itachi is the second. During "Deprivation," he is the first.  
> 6\. I began this story knowing that Itachi would be the mystery dom. He's had that role all along.  
> 7\. Ibiki is a member at Break. He also sometimes plays harder at Haze. He'd be allowed in both places because of his status and connections. Also, who in their right mind would tell him, "No?" *laughs*  
> 8\. Pein owns Haze. Safe to assume he and most of the Akatsuki are going to hang out there and the people of Break will be leery of them.  
> 9\. I have plans for Ibiki, Shino, Kankuro, Tenzou, and Sai in this world. When/if those fics will get written, I've no idea. But plans I have. *she says in her Yoda voice*  
> 10\. Please do not kill your Tour Guide. Oxygen and life aid in the writing of future chapters. Of which there are a *lot* of for this fic. Much love.
> 
> Now then. Anything else to mention? Oh yes…
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	8. Chapter 8

Kimimaro awoke with a body pressed against his back, sticky and hot beneath a soft blanket, and he closed his eyes again, trying to keep dreaming of the mystery Master who touched him like Kimimaro was Master’s most prized possession. Hot breath blew against the back of Kimi’s head, some trickling down to his neck, and he shivered, slowly recalling where he was and with whom he shared a bed.

Licking his lips, Kimimaro tried to turn his head to see the clock without waking his bedmate, but the angle was too harsh. The arm over Kimi’s hips was heavy and limp, and Kimimaro worried at a bit of metal with his teeth. He needed the bathroom; he wanted to wrap himself up in short-lived intimacy and listen to Itachi breathe. He worried about Haku; he feared he’d violate the contract if he left Itachi now. Closing his eyes, Kimimaro took a deep breath and let the physical needs win the first round of the war in his mind.

Feeling like the one-night stand everyone wanted to forget, Kimimaro carefully crept forward on the bed. When Itachi’s hand fell to the mattress, Kimimaro turned to see the man in sweet repose, and Kimi had to snatch his fingers back before they made contact with a pale cheek. He shouldn’t wake Master Itachi; the man looked like he needed all the sleep he could manage, and if nothing else, Kimimaro could do that for him.

Out of the bed, Kimi crept to the bathroom on silent feet, shutting the door with a grateful, soft sigh when it didn’t make any noise. Quickly, he took care of bodily needs, and then set about cleaning himself off with a washcloth he grabbed from a rack in one corner. Running the shower might wake Itachi, so Kimi made do with the sink, taking care that every drop of water hit the cloth and not the basin. Kimimaro paused when he looked down at the red lines on his thighs: there were more than he remembered receiving. Shivering and gripping the porcelain to steady himself, Kimimaro let out a silent breath before he recovered and continued his sponge bath.

Task as complete as it could be, Kimimaro put the cloth in a hamper before wrapping his arms about himself, thinking. He couldn’t leave and wasn’t sure why he even considered such a thing. He had no idea what time it was, but he’d promised a full night and would deliver upon his word. Kimi ran a hand through his hair, pulling at tangles, and realized he wanted to go because really, in his heart, he was dying to stay. Forever, if possible. It was a crazy thought on many levels: one play session did not a relationship make, it didn’t do to be so Scene-sick hopeful, and he had to think of Haku. 

And it didn’t matter that Itachi said something about discussing future sessions. Kimimaro wanted them – wanted them  _ badly _ – but he worried both about letting himself go down that path and about hurting the man who currently slept in Kimimaro’s bed, waiting for him to come home. He knew, of course, that Haku would fundamentally understand if such a relationship grew between Kimimaro and Itachi. 

Understanding, however, did not mean forgiving. Kimimaro understood many of the reasons and motivations Zabuza had for his treatment of Haku. It certainly didn’t make the desire to torture the bastard for months on end before ending his life and throwing his body into a ditch any less appealing.

First thing’s first, Kimimaro thought: get through the rest of the night. Then he could worry about emotional fall out and how to put himself back together and not feel pathetic for needing to do so after one simple night with a man who was – and continued to be, in most ways – a perfect stranger.

Kimimaro turned out the light above the sink and a shiver rocked his shoulders. He opened the door and jumped back with a thoroughly unmanly screech, stumbling and barely catching himself from falling.

Itachi didn’t move from where he stood just on the other side of the door like a shadowy illusion: arms crossed to hold the blanket wrapped around his nude body, dark eyes serious in the dim light.

“Master Itachi you scared the  _ shit _ out of me,” Kimimaro gasped, hand over his heart for a second before it flew up to cover his mouth, deep blush coloring his cheeks. His eyes widened as he realized his multiple errors, and he wanted to crawl into the bathtub and hide until he heard a low, rasping sound. 

Itachi chuckled: a soft, uncertain noise.

“I…I’m sorry,” Kimimaro said.

“For my scare or your shit?” Itachi asked.

Kimimaro blinked, not daring to look up at the man. “Er…both?”

“Such a burden to be sorry for so many things.”

“I apologize,” Kimimaro said automatically, wincing as he did so.

“Multiple apologies unnecessary but accepted,” Itachi said, and finally Kimimaro glanced up to find a smile trying to make Itachi’s lips its reluctant playmates. He swallowed, worried, confused, and oddly hopeful.

“Come back to bed, if you’re done,” Itachi said, turning with a swish of long hair. “I’m cold.”

“Of course, Mast -” Kimimaro truly wanted to kick himself in the balls. He could probably manage, actually, but he pushed the thought away and stayed quiet as he followed and climbed back onto the bed.

Itachi lay on his back, one arm up to hold the blanket. “Here,” he said. “Lie with me and let me hold you.”

Feeling like something inside him was breaking, Kimimaro obeyed, settling his head on Itachi’s chest and closing his eyes when Itachi pressed him close and covered him with the blanket.

“I chill easily,” Itachi said quietly.

Kimimaro thought of Haku’s chronically-cold feet and said nothing. The two men rested in the quiet of the room, and for a second, Kimimaro thought Itachi had dozed off when the man sighed and one hand came up to thread into Kimi’s hair. 

“So…Haku,” Itachi murmured, voice curious.

Kimimaro went rigid.

“It’s all right, Kimimaro.” The hand in Kimi’s hair stroked once, fingers gently digging into the scalp. 

It most certainly was not all right. Nothing was. Kimimaro couldn’t find words, and images of the goddamned letter danced behind his eyelids. He couldn’t sort out why everything about this was so hard and so awful, but he knew it surely was, and he wanted to run and to bury himself in Itachi’s neck at the same time.

“You said his name in your sleep,” Itachi said.

“I…I…” Kimimaro sat up, and shame shot through him that he was acting so terribly. He wanted things so much and so badly that he couldn’t think or breathe. There was Haku, alone and waiting; there was Kimi, tied and moaning; there was Master Itachi’s eyes, warm and unblinking. Kimimaro pressed a fist to his mouth, grinding metal against his gums. “Forgive me, Itachi, but I believe I have to leave.”

With a speed and fluidity that Kimi would find fascinating under normal circumstances, Itachi sat up and threw a long leg over both of Kimi’s, knee bent. Itachi reached and pulled Kimimaro flush to his chest in the next heartbeat. Kimimaro gasped at the surprising strength that held him. “Why do you need to leave, Kimimaro?”

“I’m just…I’m going to embarrass myself and do a disservice to you,” Kimimaro managed, voice shaking. “So please-- ”

“There are hours before dawn.”

“Yes, I know, I’m humiliated in my display of such--”

“I don’t want you to go.”

Kimimaro gritted his teeth, struggling and feeling Itachi fight to hold him still. “Rude, I’m being so terribly rude, and it’s unforgivable, Master, but please feel free to discuss my punishment with--”

“Unnecessary to discuss this with anyone but you, sweet boy. Now tell me why you think you’ll-- ”

“I can’t, Master, please, please, just stop being so--” 

“Kimimaro,” Itachi said, voice never wavering from its wintry calm. “I’d rather you not go anywhere until you tell me--”

“Goddammit,” Kimimaro growled, pushing against what felt like an immovable wall of willpower and muscle. 

“Kimimaro--”

The patient voice cracked Kimimaro’s insides: ice expanding in stone walls. “No,” Kimimaro gasped. “I - I want you too fucking much!” Head whipping to the side and hands coming up, Kimi shoved hard against Itachi’s chest. The other man rolled with the movement, one arm coming up to knock aside Kimi’s right hand. Kimimaro’s pulse screamed in his ears, his vision went red on the edges, and a sound made of anger and ache escaped his lips. He tried to get away, thought he might make it, and Itachi yanked him back down onto the mattress. Kimimaro’s body acting entirely on independent will, he rolled up against the other man, gasping. 

“Stop being so…oh God, please…” Struggling through the sensation, Kimi scrambled and sat back up, tangling with Itachi and not actually fighting hard enough to get away.

“Do you love him?” Itachi asked, voice calm despite grappling Kimimaro with force, hands around his wrists and leg digging into the bed for leverage. “Do you?” Itachi’s voice was stunningly loud and it shocked Kimimaro enough to stop fighting and blink through tears at brown eyes that seemed to burn with internal fire.

“M-Master?”

“Haku,” Itachi said, volume lower but tone hard as steel. “Zabuza’s former pet. He’s the one in your life, is he not?”

“You know about…?”

Itachi nodded once, curt. “I wanted to know as much about you as possible. You said his name, and I connected it to the pieces I know.”

Kimimaro shook his head, frowning. “Master Neji…?”

“Told me there was someone in your life, that you were under strain, but left out all the important details. Now answer me: do you love him?”

“Haku?”

“Yes, Kimimaro, Haku.” Itachi sounded like a far fiercer version of Sasuke when he was frustrated with Naruto, and Kimimaro winced.

“I…Haku is my …” Kimimaro tried to breathe, old anger warring with new sorrow.

“Friend?” Itachi tried.

“Yes,” Kimimaro answered.

“Lover?”

Quieter: “Yes.”

“You love him.” It was not a question, and Kimimaro couldn’t tell if Master was resigned or relieved or merely accepting. Kimi nodded once, miserable.

“Then you feel you must leave because you will betray him if you agree to more time with me.” Itachi paused for half a heartbeat. “Or if you  _ want _ more time with me.”

Kimimaro looked up at Itachi, forehead crumpled into an expression of confused defeat. “How do you know this?”

“Because it’s only logical, Kimimaro.”

“It is?”

Shapely dark eyebrows rose and pink lips twisted into a half-smile. “Utterly, sweet boy. Utterly.”

A house of cards two miles high quaked and began to fall. “I’m not like this.” The words were breathless, and Kimi snatched his hands out of Itachi’s grip. Itachi let him go but one hand fell to stroke Kimi’s back. Kimimaro was horrified and self-righteous at the same time, and Kimi had no idea what to do about it. Apologize? Run? Fight? This was impossible. He was a fool – an idiot, a coward, an ass. He’d  _ struck _ at the man who’d given him so much not hours ago. He’d called him the wrong names, done things Master asked him not to do, tried to violate a contract, yelled and cursed and…

_ He still called me, “sweet.” _

“Please,” Kimimaro said, head down and completely unsure of what he asked. He only knew begging seemed appropriate. “Please…”

Itachi pulled Kimi to him again, gently forcing his head against Itachi’s pale shoulder, hand back in Kimimaro’s hair. “There, now,” Itachi said. “Thank you for letting me hold you. I like you here with me, and I want you to tell me about Haku.” He paused and Kimimaro felt Itachi swallow. “It would be very useful.”

Kimimaro wanted nothing more than to be useful and good for Master Itachi – it was only fair, only the man’s due, only  _ right.  _

For a moment there was too much to say and then words broke through the dam and Kimimaro told Itachi everything. The Tournament, the torn collar, the tears Haku shed against Kimi’s bare chest when Kimimaro was too stunned at the sound of Haku’s voice to do much more than hold the boy. The rushed days of gathering things from Haku’s former home to move them into a condo, nominally Haku’s, and getting the locks changed. Days spent in fear, hours of tears, too few nights of exhausted sleep. Moving Haku when he couldn’t support himself, helping him find a job when he’d never so much as read a want ad, bodily moving Haku into the shower when all the man could do was weep that he wanted just to die, to please just let him go, and Kimimaro’s eyes burned as he thought about holding Haku under the spray, telling him it’d get better and praying he told the truth. Driving to see a counselor week after week. The fear…the hope…

Coming home months later to find his apartment rearranged and cookies in the oven. Haku making Kimimaro dinner, begging him to let Haku buy the groceries for once. The negotiating, the talking, the movie nights, the trips to Genma and Raidou’s to play cards. The first time they fucked. The last time they made love.

A year of life and struggle came pouring out of Kimimaro’s mouth and Itachi held him without a word, only hugging Kimi when he paused to tell him Itachi heard and that Kimi should continue.

“I can’t leave him,” Kimimaro gasped when he was done, dry-eyed and numb.

“I agree,” Itachi said and Kimimaro slumped against the Uchiha, exhausted from the night and the speech.

“But I…loved…your letter.”

“I love that you agreed to its terms,” Itachi answered.

“I’m so sorry about the way I behaved.”

Itachi made an unhappy sound and twisted, moving Kimi’s chin to make their gazes meet. “You are not sorry about the Scene, which was perfection,” he said, firmly but softly. “Nor for being human, for feeling with depth, for being honorable, for loving another, or for doing as I asked and told you to do.” Itachi’s dark eyes were wide and calm, and Kimimaro felt drugged gazing into them. Itachi stroked Kimimaro’s cheek.

“I enjoy protocol and your brand of deference, Kimimaro, but I enjoy the truth more. When Neji told me there were complications in your life, I wasn’t put off: I was intrigued. I’ve been alone for years. I live alone, I work alone, and I rarely venture out these days as humanity holds little interest to me. 

“You, Kimimaro, caught my attention. I saw you with Orochimaru in the days at Haze. I know what he is, and I know what you were to him. I know Zabuza, but no one knew much of his precious Haku other than Zabuza didn’t deserve the gift he had.” Itachi’s eyes narrowed, hand tightening on Kimimaro’s chin. “You were not given your worth, either, and when I saw you here – working, managing, apparently whole – I was…impressed.” Itachi’s eyes grew distant. “I know what it is to lose oneself and try to come back to body and soul and rebuild. It takes strength.”

The honesty of the words and the pain in Itachi’s inward gaze made Kimimaro hurt in places he’d forgotten could feel at all, and he gasped a quiet sound, half sob and half sigh. 

“I want more of you,” Itachi stated quietly, gaze fixing upon Kimimaro again, rendering him motionless. “And given your circumstances, I humbly ask that you permit me to meet your Haku.”

Kimimaro choked on his own saliva and it felt like his hearing was dampened again by plugs. “You want to meet Haku?”

Itachi nodded once. “I do. You’re his keeper of sorts, from what you’ve told me, and he means much to you.” Itachi nearly-smiled in hesitant tenderness, thumb tracing Kimimaro’s jaw. “I would like to meet the man who took your heart so quietly that you didn’t notice when ownership swapped hands. Perhaps I could get his permission or blessing.” Itachi paused and tears streamed down Kimimaro’s face. “Or see if he might be interested in--”

With a greedy noise, Kimimaro kissed Itachi, thinking it the only thing to do. The earth spun too fast, gravity wasn’t working properly, but the feel of lips that moved and opened and claimed was real and essential. Kimimaro couldn’t sort out hope from fear, but the hands that guided him down onto the bed were warm and necessary. He imagined Haku sleeping; recalled Master Itachi’s face when he came. 

_ If only he could want both of us… _

Kimimaro gently bit at Itachi’s lower lip and wrapped his arms and legs around the man on top of him. When a hardening cock rubbed against his, Kimi whimpered into Itachi’s mouth. The kiss broke, Itachi’s lips found Kimimaro’s neck, and Kimi lost track of what he said or what his body did. Hands roamed, gripped, and held, and Kimi felt his skin grow warm and then hot. He breathed in a lungful of Itachi’s scent: sweat, sex, expensive cologne, herbal shampoo. Kimi grabbed handfuls of hair and was careful to merely hold and not pull. Unsure but wanting; fearful but dying to please.

Twisting his head to brush harder into Kimimaro’s hand, Itachi hummed, sound rumbling his chest. “Dig your nails into my scalp and reach down to stroke my cock,” Itachi murmured against the column of Kimimaro’s neck. 

“Yes, Master,” Kimi whispered and obeyed: nails digging and hand seeking. Itachi shuddered and then groaned when Kimimaro’s fist found him, and Kimi stroked him slowly, teasing the head and keeping his grip loose.

“Mm, perfect,” Itachi praised and his teeth sank into skin and he sucked hard, pulling an incoherent cry from Kimimaro. He involuntarily dug his nails deeper into the back of Itachi’s head, and teeth bit harder, making Kimi writhe.

“Yes,  _ oh God _ …” Kimi whined.

“Stroke us both,” Itachi half-growled, moving to mark Kimi again. For too many seconds flesh and skin slip-slid out of Kimi’s grasp, making him grunt in frustration, but he got his fist around himself and Itachi, using his own precum to slick the slide. Panting filled the room: Kimi’s from an open mouth and Itachi’s from an elegant nose. It felt like Itachi’s lips were everywhere as they kissed and lapped at Kimimaro’s rapid-fire pulse, and he knew he cried out, said things, moaned…but it was all a melted jumble because every time Kimimaro tried to think, Itachi’s teeth found skin or his hips gave friction.

“Grip us harder, Kimimaro,” Itachi commanded, and Kimimaro wanted to thrash, but Itachi’s mouth held him still. There was no room for anything but sensation, and Kimimaro rolled his body into his hand and against Itachi. The Uchiha’s breathless noises made Kimi feel weak yet powerful, and when fingertips sought and then pulled on the bar through Kimi’s nipple, he jerked hard, sucking a harsh rasp through his teeth.

“Please, Master, oh –  _ oh _ – please…”

“Please  _ what _ , sweet boy?” Itachi asked, teeth dragging lightly over the metal rings in Kimimaro’s ear.

“Please fuck me, Master.” Kimimaro’s fingers dug into Itachi’s thick shaft, and Itachi grunted.

“Want my cock in your ass, do you?” Itachi husked, voice incinerating all thought and echoing through Kimi’s mind. Itachi lightly kissed Kimimaro’s cheek, tender.

“Yes, Master.” Rushed words, heavy with heartfelt ascent.

Itachi bit Kimimaro’s skin, behind his ear. “Want me to hold you down face-first in the mattress and pound you raw?”

“Yes. _ Master. _ Ooh, fuck…” Kimimaro’s hand slipped over his dick, which felt so damned hard he thought he’d scream.

“Stop stroking, roll over, get on your hands and knees,” Itachi ordered, raising up and sitting back on the bed. Immediately Kimimaro obeyed, arms shaking as he braced on all-fours. He panted, everything gone but the heat; the world centered on his cock and the urge to do anything Master said to do. 

The mattress shifted, and Kimimaro caught his breath as he heard Itachi reach and roll the cart. He heard plastic tear and shivered.

“Spread your legs wider.” 

Kimimaro obeyed the voice that sounded brittle and cold but made Kimi's blood raise to a boil.

“Reach around behind you and put two fingers into your ass.” 

A sudden whine fueled by sheer avarice escaped Kimi’s lips, and his eyes closed as he balanced on one hand, other following the lines of his back as he complied. His fingertips glanced over his entrance, and he held his breath about to breach only to pause when Master shifted on the bed. 

“Slowly,” Master said, hand touching and tracing Kimimaro’s forearm, stopping him momentarily. Kimimaro paused and gaped down at the bed as he felt Master’s hot breath against his ass and then palm. A tongue curled over Kimi’s two longest fingers and lips sucked, saliva coating as the wet heat withdrew. “I’m enjoying the view,” Itachi said, sounding amused.

“Oh God…oh God…” Kimimaro whispered.

“Let’s see you finger fuck yourself, sweet boy. Do it now.”

Kimimaro’s head fell forward, eyes closed and body tingling all over. He pushed the fingers inside himself - slowly as his Master asked - and felt some of the lube from the plug, earlier, and his walls flexed and clenched. Sounds spilled from his lips, he heard the cart again as Master got something else from it.

“Beautiful. Perfect. Stay just like that,” Itachi said. The bed shifted and Kimi looked down to watch Itachi’s hand caress Kimimaro’s balls, squeezing once and making him whimper a moan before the hand quested upward. It reached the bolts through the head of Kimimaro’s dick and toyed with them: did it like Master had watched Kimimaro play with himself and knew exactly what to do to drive him insane.

“Master –  _ shit, please, fuck _ – I…” Kimimaro sucked in a breath and trembled all over when the tip of a finger slid over his slit and moved on to the other side, pulling on the end of the piercings from beneath the head of his cock. Kimimaro’s hips twitched, and he moaned.

“Shit, please, fuck, what, sweet boy?” 

Master Itachi’s hand fell away, and Kimimaro’s mind tried to redline.

“ _ Please _ fuck me,” Kimimaro begged. “Take me so hard I can’t breathe; shove me down into the bed and make me yours. Make it hurt. I don’t want anything but your cock in my ass and hands on my body, Master. Please…have mercy…”

Lips pressed a light kiss to Kimimaro’s lower back. “Beautiful, sweet boy…beautiful…” Another light kiss and a sadistic hum. “But not yet.”

Kimimaro’s whine ricocheted off the stone walls, and Master chuckled: a dark, delicious sound. “Slide your fingers in and out of that needy hole,” Itachi murmured. “Slowly.”

Obeying, Kimimaro’s arm shook hard, and he nearly fell to the mattress. Fingertips ghosted over the backs of his thighs, hypersensitive skin betraying Kimi and the urge to palm his cock was so fierce and swift it made him curse beneath his breath. The answering chuckle behind Kimi made it worse, and when a hand clamped around his wrist and helped him remove his fingers from his ass, Kimimaro cried out: “ _ Please _ .”

“Rise up onto your knees.”

Shakily, Kimimaro obeyed, and arms wrapped around him, two hands immediately seeking his nipples and playing with the bars beneath the tender skin. Kimimaro’s hips bucked, cock knocking against his stomach and leaving a sticky trail linking belly to crown. Kimi’s head fell back on Itachi’s shoulder, mind blown to the four corners. 

“I’ve seen you move on stage, and I wonder…” Itachi murmured, making Kimimaro writhe with his touch. “Can you stay kneeling and bend back to suck me, sweet boy?”

“Oh yes, Master…oh yes…” Kimimaro panted, eager, willing to forgo the feel of Master fucking him senseless if it meant Master’s cock between his lips. “I can do that for you, Master, with ease. Please…”

“Good,” Itachi said, breathily. He loosened his hold on Kimimaro and knee-walked backward on the bed. With Master’s hands on his skin, steadying and gentle, Kimimaro quickly bowed his spine in a contortionist’s arch: knees and shins still on the bed and giving him balance. Itachi’s hands moved to cup Kimimaro’s shoulders, and Kimi was grateful for the support. 

In seconds, Kimimaro was upside down, backward and on eye-level with Itachi’s rigid cock. Kimi snaked his tongue from between his lips, lapping at the head once before elongating his spine to take Itachi into his mouth, a groan bubbling up Kimi’s throat and out his nose. 

“Oh my God,” Itachi muttered, words shocked and delighted. Kimimaro shivered and worked tongue and lips, getting distracted as one of Itachi’s hands released Kimi’s shoulder and skimmed down Kimi’s chest and belly. Firm touch wrapped around Kimi’s cock and Kimimaro’s hands flew to brace on the bed and Itachi’s hip. The slow strokes on his skin, the fast breathing of the man above him, the flesh between his lips, the position, the night…everything crashed: a typhoon on a packed beach, and Kimimaro twisted, vision tunneling to a pinpoint of bright light. He didn’t feel long for this world, loved that more than he wanted oxygen, and need thrummed a frantic beat in his veins.

“Stop, now,” Master said, strained, and Kimimaro’s mouth fell away as he gasped for air. Somehow he got upright and then his cheek was pressed to the sheet. A firm body rested against his back and down one thigh, hip digging into his ass. He heard wet, slippery noises – condom on cock – and the click of a cap. Kimimaro couldn’t see, couldn’t hear over the sound of his own erratic breathing, and the soothing praise pouring from Master’s lips made him shiver, shake, groan. 

“I love you willing and wanting with everything you have,” Master said, lining himself up – cock to entrance – and barely pausing as he pushed forward. 

“ _ Oh, oh, oh, _ ” Kimimaro whined, hips bucking backward, seeking more of the stretch and fill. Kimimaro hissed and Master braced Kimi's hips, pausing and not passing into depth. He pulled back and then stroked into Kimi, shallow and slow. Kimimaro muffled a loud cry into the mattress and felt a hand grip the back of his neck: a press and hold. 

“You’re incredible,” Master sighed as he worked his hips, and the muscles in Kimimaro’s stomach danced and twitched. He felt Master slide deeper and called out, lost and found. 

“Yes,” Master said, grunting once in pleasure. “Just like that, Kimimaro. Let me hear you.”

Beyond words or thought, Kimimaro panted and moaned for the man who moved within him: deeper and thrusting, slow and methodical. Kimimaro had no idea how long it carried on, there was no sense of time, but he knew Master built a slow fire within Kimi’s body that raged all too soon. Kimimaro whimpered, turning and trying to press his face into the mattress. The hand on his neck gripped harder and braced, and Kimimaro’s breathing grew labored against the damp sheet. The crazed search for relief surged in Kimi’s veins, calling out a siren song to an ending not yet near. 

Fingers found and pulled with steadily increasing pressure on his nipple, and Kimimaro half-screamed as the peak of the pull was punctuated by a harder thrust. Master rumbled a sound of controlled, vicious, pleasure and set the pace. Kimimaro felt used and taken and perfect, and he called out in toned cries with every stroke into his body. He got louder when Master rolled and shifted just  _ so _ and the push and pull sought and rubbed over Kimimaro’s prostate. Release brewed but didn’t boil, and Kimimaro’s hands skimmed on the mattress, seeking something to grip and hang on to for dear life and sanity.

“ _ Nnngh yeah _ …” Itachi gasped, and he bent over Kimimaro. Suddenly Kimi’s arms were pulled up and back, crossed, and one of Master’s hands slithered down to wrap and twist in Kimimaro’s hair while the other clamped onto Kimi’s wrists in a vice-like hold.

“ _ Oh GOD…” _ Kimimaro called before getting lost in being so pinned. Moans filled his ears – both Kimi’s and Itachi’s – and it was heaven and hell to think it would never stop. Stroke after stroke made him feel like Master’s dick scraped his spine and nudged his throat, and it was bliss – made him hurt, it was so damned good – and Kimimaro ached to get off: shivered with the craving. 

“Close, sweet boy?” Itachi rasped between exertions.

Kimimaro could only whine, hair damp and plastered to his skin, shoulders aching from the position, scalp on fire, neck bent on an odd angle, cock dribbling onto the sheet below.

“Want my touch to help you come?” The words were a teasing rumble; a nearly-rhetorical demand.

“Yes, oh- _ ooh God _ …oh please.” Kimimaro thrashed, hands holding him in place as he writhed with the firm thrusts that made him sob a cry. “Master, please…shit… _ fuck _ … let me come…Master, mercy… _ mercy _ …”

Itachi released Kimimaro’s arms, and they fell limply onto the bed with dulled thuds. A slick body covered Kimimaro’s, the hand in his hair tightening impossibly and made Kimi’s breathing hitch and hiccough. 

“You’re gorgeous when you beg for what you want,” Master said, clearly, though his hips never faltered as he moved and spoke. Kimi’s eyes squeezed shut as light fingertips traced over his side and beneath him, circled the dermal, and then lightly touched the underside of his cock. 

“ _ Nnn-aah, _ ” Kimimaro cried. “Please, please, please…” he chanted in broken whispers that pitched higher as Master traced piercings in seemingly idle exploration. The thrusts continued, the need raged and screeched, and when Master’s hand finally closed over skin and metal and  _ stroked _ with purpose and pressure, Kimimaro froze, spine stiffening and vision going gray as orgasm ripped him in half. Cum hit the sheet with soft patters, and Master’s hand stroked again and again until Kimimaro cried out, pitiful and pained. Fingertips shifted to grip under Kimimaro’s body and dig into his shoulder, pulling back to go deeper as he thrust hard, harder, hardest and gasped at long last. 

“Kimimaro… _ ooooh _ …” Master moaned, wanton and desperate, and Kimimaro shuddered with the body atop his as the spasms gripped, twisted, and finally relinquished their frenetic hold.

Heartbeats, breathing, and then Master swallowed and Kimimaro blinked, corners of his eyes damp. “Easy,” said the man on top of him, hand holding onto Kimimaro’s hipbone as Kimi half-fell down to the mattress, unmindful of the damp places on the sheet. Master followed the movement, staying on top and inside Kimi; finally resting in a sprawl. Steamy breath blew against Kimimaro’s neck, and he shivered, goose flesh rising on his arms.

Kimimaro roused when he heard and felt Itachi sigh and then slowly withdraw from Kimi’s body, one hand brushing Kimi’s backside as he held the condom in place. Not sure he could move even in dire circumstance, Kimimaro made a quiet sound of protest and received a kiss between his shoulder blades in response. 

“Rest,” came the command, and Kimimaro gratefully and happily obeyed.

Sometime later, Kimimaro opened his eyes to find himself wrapped around Itachi, who lay on his back with his long neck tilted to one side. He snored once and fell silent again while Kimimaro watched and listened. Kimi placed a hand over Itachi’s chest, felt the heartbeat there, and then shut his eyes again, too tired and content to think much beyond the sweet exhaustion.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ You know what was really cool? Back in Y!Gal days, a girl who actually did contortionist work - small world, eh? - contacted me about this fic and said it was actually rather realistic. As in, could happen - totally. I remember being inordinately proud of myself. *laughing* Thanks, all - and happy, happy orgasmic men to you!
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	9. Chapter 9

Kimimaro woke up to an empty bed, an open bathroom door, and the sound of running water. He blinked, sat up, and ran his hands through his hair, wincing at the tangles. He looked over at the open door, steam slipping through the space between frame and edge, and shook his head. Thoughts of a naked and bathing Master Itachi roused any still-slumbering part of Kimimaro’s mind, and he bit his lip. It would probably be good to give Itachi some space; the last thing Kimimaro wanted to do was crowd the man. After such an incredible night, Kimi didn’t want to do anything to push his luck. He was dying to broach the subject of Itachi meeting Haku and how soon that could happen; anxious to show Itachi that last night was amazing, and Kimimaro wanted to do it again as soon as possible.

But Kimimaro had no idea how to talk about those things or what would be welcomed and what wouldn’t, and it didn’t do to be so overeager. 

Scrambling out of bed, Kimimaro stood and stretched. Eyes flicking to the bathroom door more often than Kimimaro would ever admit, he quickly grabbed Itachi’s clothes, shaking them out. He carefully laid the shirt and pants over the chair while he stripped off the soiled linens from the bed and deposited them in a basket beside the door. Kimi retrieved the clothes and laid them out on the bare mattress as if they were fresh, straightening collar and cuff, picking off pieces of lint and strands of hair, and finally setting Itachi’s shoes – low boots, Kimi saw with appreciation of hand-made craftsmanship – on the floor at the foot of the bed. 

The water shut off and Kimimaro jumped at the sound of the faucet. Licking his lips, he grabbed the dirty blanket and pillowcases, shoving them into the basket with the sheet. He threw away various debris, straightened the cart’s contents, tossed things in a biohazard bin, and wondered at himself when his heart nearly stopped as the bathroom door opened wider. 

“Good morning…Itachi,” Kimimaro said, turning, happy that he forced his tongue to speak the appropriate name. He kept his eyes down, hands at his sides, though the temptation to fidget as Itachi padded over the rug on bare feet was nearly impossible to resist. Kimimaro breathed deeply, trying to stay calm. 

Itachi paused next to his shoes, and Kimimaro’s eyes scanned upward far enough to see that Itachi’s hair dripped down his back, and Kimimaro felt a lump in his throat when he saw a mess of scars: some were evenly spaced – deliberate – others were haphazard, white-pale slashes, and they sliced over his flanks, lower back, and shoulders. Kimimaro wanted to run his tongue over them, and he bit the offending muscle, absently noting that Itachi wore a towel about his waist, and Itachi eyed the room with a slow turn of his head and body.

“I see you’ve been busy.”

“Yes…” Kimimaro didn’t know if he should say the man’s name in conjunction with every statement, as was tempting, but he didn’t want to be annoying, so he let the word stand alone.

“Come here.”

Feet moving before his brain even fully registered the command, Kimimaro walked over to Itachi, eyes gazing longingly somewhere in the vicinity of his collar bone.

A hand warmed and damp from the shower cupped Kimimaro’s chin and tilted his face up and back. “Let me see your eyes.”

Kimimaro immediately looked into a chocolate gaze that was warm and full of life despite the fact that Itachi’s expression remained unaffected. “So pretty,” Itachi said, almost as though he spoke to himself, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward in what Kimimaro took to be his version of a smile. 

“I don’t mind eye contact when we talk, Kimimaro, unless I tell you otherwise. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, Itachi,” Kimimaro answered softly, getting lost in the way the very corners of Itachi’s slanted eyes formed faint lines indicating what Kimimaro thought was pleasure.

“Good. Thank you. Now…next order of business…” Itachi murmured the last and Kimimaro couldn’t help the startled, pleased sound when Itachi closed the distance between them, pressed their bodies together, and kissed Kimimaro like he’d never done it and would never get used to it now that he had. 

Knees weak and breath coming faster, Kimimaro blinked, dazed, when Itachi pulled away with a soft, wet brush over Kimi’s lower lip. Itachi hummed. “Better.” Releasing Kimimaro, Itachi turned to walk back into the bathroom. Opening a drawer while Kimi watched, he pulled out a plastic package with various toiletries in it. Frowning slightly, Itachi sighed and ripped the thing open, pulling out a small, black comb. 

“May I assist?” Kimimaro asked, coming closer and looking with greedy eyes at the long, damp, hair.

Without a word, Itachi handed the comb back to Kimimaro over one shoulder, eyes on Kimi in the bathroom mirror. 

“Thank you.” Kimi gathered the heavy weight of Itachi’s hair into one hand and began working the comb through the ends.

“It’s too long,” Itachi mused, and again he spoke as though to himself. Kimimaro didn’t know if he should answer or not, and hesitated.

“Mm?” Itachi questioned.

“Forgive me…I’m just…you sound like you’re…” Kimimaro faltered.

“Like I’m talking to myself,” Itachi said quietly. 

“I could be misinterpreting, Itachi.”

“You’re not. Comes from years with only myself for company.” Itachi shrugged and Kimimaro continued to work on his hair. “Never been good at conversation.” Itachi turned his head, one eyebrow arched as he glanced back at Kimi before facing the mirror again.

“I’m not very good at it, either,” Kimimaro admitted, carefully working on a knot. “Haku’s the genius when it comes to knowing what to say.” Kimimaro swallowed, the mention of the name worrying him.

“I see. Amazing thing, that. Considering.”

Understanding that Itachi referred to Zabuza’s rules, Kimi nodded. “Quite.”

“How soon may I meet him?” Itachi asked.

“We are happy to try to accommodate your schedule,” Kimimaro said carefully, running the comb from Itachi’s scalp to the ends of his hair.

“This morning, then?”

Kimimaro’s eyes snapped up to look at Itachi’s reflection, and he saw the intense focus in Itachi's stare. “This morning,” Kimimaro repeated, voice thin.

Turning slowly, Itachi faced Kimimaro, leaning back against the sink. He didn’t speak for a moment, and Kimimaro reached to bring Itachi’s hair to rest over his shoulder. Kimimaro glanced down as he started to work the comb again.

“A long time ago, I was a proud man,” Itachi said, voice so quiet that Kimimaro resisted the temptation to step closer and turn his head to hear better.

“I thought I could do anything. Family curse, that sort of confidence.” Itachi's mouth twisted and Kimimaro watched his Adam’s apple move as Itachi swallowed. “I’m…not good at this.” He reached up to rub his eyes with one hand. 

Watching smooth slicks of midnight separate around the comb's teeth, Kimimaro inched closer. "I will listen should you wish to speak, or I will serve you in silence as you prefer, Itachi." Kimimaro paused to work up courage. "But…I love… _ enjoy _ …your voice, and hearing about you."

For a moment, Itachi didn't react, and Kimimaro frowned until cool fingertips brushed his arm in the gentlest comfort Kimi could imagine. He relaxed again and combed Itachi's hair.

“Our mother died after Sasuke was born," Itachi continued. "Cancer. Sasuke doesn’t remember her. Our father was a bastard. The only other family was our uncle, who is not…well. He’s no figurehead for normalcy.” 

Kimimaro hesitantly reached and touched Itachi’s shoulder with his fingertips. Itachi's dark eyes roamed over Kimi’s face before focusing off in the distance again. “Our father…died. And the way it happened...Sasuke and I fought. I told him horrible things about forgiveness.” Itachi’s voice lowered to a mutter. “How he shouldn’t ever forgive me. I think I believed it easier to deal with him despising me than with the guilt that Father died. That I helped.”

“Helped?”

Itachi shook his head, lips thin. “Mercy killing. Family and company wanted Father to linger. Father didn’t want to waste away. Pulled the plug, so to speak. Ancient history with a flatline ending. Sasuke…" Itachi abruptly stopped speaking, and Kimimaro looked up to see a fathomless gaze fixed at nothing. Kimi was familiar with the look -- Haku got it when he relived some slice of hell, his mind turned into a cage of screaming, begging, rinse, repeat. 

Hesitation left and Kimimaro acted on instincts built by a year of mending fractured souls. He leaned closer, kissed Itachi's cheekbone, ran one palm up Itachi's arm, nuzzled his nose against wet hair: little movements to show he was there and to offer signposts back to reality. Kimi's heart hurt and throbbed, and he trembled when Itachi sighed a sound that was almost Kimimaro's name.

"Old things," Itachi said.

"It's the weight that matters, not the age," Kimimaro replied. Fingers brushed his arm again -- comfort and permission -- and Kimimaro kept his eyes down as he pulled away far enough to stroke the long strands of Itachi's hair.

"Sasuke hated me for being chosen to end Father's life, and he hated me for taking away a piece of family. Of history, riddled with pain though it was. He left with Naruto, and didn't defend me when..." 

Kimimaro let the silence wax and wane. A bead of water escaped from Itachi's hair to run down his stomach, and Kimi caught it with a fingertip as Itachi shivered. 

"Couldn't expect such things from him," Itachi said to himself, and Kimimaro held his tongue. "Sasuke was gone. Uncle left to manage the business, what little of it there is to run, really. Mostly handled by…other people. Smarter.”

“I can’t imagine someone more qualified than you to do anything, Itachi,” Kimimaro said quietly but fervently. The praise earned Kimi a corner-twitch smile, and Itachi reached to rest a hand on Kimimaro’s hip. 

“I used to be proud. Now I’m lonely. And not too stubborn to admit it. Sasuke and I work on things; see one another from time to time, and I can even tolerate that blond child attached to his ass but…”

“Lonely,” Kimimaro said, feeling the word sink through him like a rock.

“Yes,” Itachi agreed. “And I like you. Want you. Would love it if you joined me for dinner tonight. But before I can ask, I must meet Haku.”

“Will you ask him to dinner as well?” Kimimaro said to his feet. Until that moment, his nudity hadn’t bothered him, but now he shivered and longed for clothing. He found himself pulled into an embrace, arms resting against Itachi’s chest. Kimi could still smell faint traces of the cologne, and he wanted to immerse himself in Itachi’s skin and scent.

“I cannot predict outcomes when I know so little,” Itachi said softly into Kimi’s hair. “But I will meet your Haku, and I will ask. It seems…” Kimimaro waited again in Itachi's arms, holding his breath.

“Oh God. It seems like I’m a fool to hope to like him as much as I do you. Like I’m an old idiot for wanting it.”

Kimimaro looked up and met Itachi’s gaze. “I understand.”

Brown eyes searched Kimi’s face. “This morning, then?”

“When you’re ready.”

“I just need clothing.”

“Forgive me, Itachi, but I wish you didn’t.” Kimi spoke the words without thinking, and his eyes widened as he realized he was  _ flirting. _

Itachi chuffed a sound, gaze becoming warmer, the lines next to his eyes creasing again, and just like that, everything was right in Kimimaro’s universe.

“I don’t need it in my own home,” Itachi mused.

Kimimaro’s breathing hitched. “I can be ready now, as well.”

“No shower?”

“Not necessary.” Kimimaro smelled slightly better than an open sewer to himself, but he didn’t give a damn when faced with such hope.

“I’ll follow you home?”

“Please,” Kimimaro whispered. “Yes…please.”

Itachi kissed Kimi lightly on the lips, eyes open. “Let’s go, then.”

Kimimaro stepped back, letting Itachi go to walk over to the bed, drop his towel and begin to dress. Kimi said nothing, but in his mind he answered:

_ Yes, Master. As you wish. _

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ I feel the need for a group hug. Any takers?
> 
> Also, probably not mentioned it, but this story has a theme song: [The Last Worthless Evening by Don Henley](http://en.musicplayon.com/Don-Henley-The-Last-Worthless-Evening-Video-188327.html). 
> 
> I know you broke up with him  
> And your heart's still on the shelf  
> It's been over two years for me  
> And I'm still not quite myself  
> You can't be with someone new  
> And you can't go back to him  
> You're beginning to realize  
> That it's sink or swim
> 
> I see you around sometimes  
> And my heart just melts  
> You're lookin' like if you had your wish  
> You'd be somewhere else  
> And it just breaks my heart  
> To see you here this way  
> Someday I'll get the nerve  
> To walk up to you and say
> 
> This is the last worthless evening  
> That you'll have to spend  
> Just gimme a chance  
> To show you how to love again  
> This is the last worthless evening  
> That you'll have to spend  
> 'Cause I'll be there  
> When your broken heart is on the mend
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	10. Chapter 10

“Why aren’t you answering?” Kimimaro asked the interior of his car when Haku didn’t pick up his cell phone for the third time. Sighing, Kimi ended the call and tossed the phone into the passenger seat, teeth worrying at his lips hard enough to make them bleed. He glanced up in the rearview mirror and saw the black Mercedes right on his tail, and Kimimaro despaired. He had no idea how Haku was going to react to this, he wasn’t answering his phone so Kimi could ask or warn him, and Kimimaro got trapped between two types of terror: of the unknown and of wasting Itachi’s time.

It was Sunday, Haku wasn’t working, and he said he’d be waiting. It was only half-past nine, so perhaps he was still asleep. Kimimaro felt something like anguish at the thought of Haku hurt, or not home, or this fragile plan falling apart before it had the chance to begin. What if Haku got angry? Didn’t want to meet the man who wanted a night of Kimi’s time?

But this was Master’s wish. Surely Kimimaro could explain  _ that _ concept with some accuracy, and Haku would certainly understand, no matter how upset he may or may not get because Itachi was in the apartment. 

That thought made Kimi’s eyes go wide and he nearly missed a stop sign, slamming on the brakes at the last second. He pressed a hand to his forehead wondered what in God’s name he thought that he was doing bringing the elder Uchiha to his pathetic excuse of a home.

_ This is insane. _

Kimimaro swallowed hard, trying not to hyperventilate, and pulled into the parking lot and then into his designated space. He watched the Mercedes smoothly glide into a Visitor’s spot, and Kimimaro killed the Toyota’s engine, grabbed his phone, and climbed out of the car on legs that threatened not to hold his weight. With twin slams, both Kimi and Itachi shut car doors, and Itachi walked toward Kimimaro, sunglasses covering his eyes. The silky shirt that felt so good against Kimimaro’s skin last night was black and untucked over the leather pants, and Itachi’s hair was curling slightly as it dried.

Kimi’s mouth watered, and he resisted the temptation to bow when Itachi got closer. Instead, Kimimaro nodded once, turned, and led the Uchiha up the stairs and toward his apartment door. 

“You live together?” Itachi asked.

“No, just in the same complex. But he’s…supposed to be waiting.” Kimimaro’s hands shook as he got out his keys, but thankfully Itachi said nothing when it took Kimi two tries to get the locks undone.

“Does he know I’m here?” Itachi asked as they walked into the cool darkness of the apartment. All the lights were out, the air conditioning hummed dully, and Kimimaro felt sure, now, that Haku must still be asleep.

“I tried to phone from the car, but he didn’t answer.” Kimimaro spoke softly, kicking off his shoes. Itachi took off his sunglasses and hooked them in his shirt, bending down to undo and remove his boots before walking with Kimimaro down the hallway and into the open living area.

“Doing this later might make sense,” Itachi murmured.

“No,” Kimimaro said, perhaps a little too forcefully, and he froze in embarrassment. The only movement and sound in the apartment was that of a lone ceiling fan, spinning lazily above them, and Kimimaro began to apologize but strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Itachi was roughly the same height as Kimi, and he kissed Kimi’s cheek.

“I’m eager to meet Haku and happy to be here.” Another kiss and Kimimaro melted back against the other man, sighing. 

“Go wake him. I’ll wait.”

“As you like, so shall I obey,” Kimimaro said softly, and Itachi squeezed him once before letting Kimi go. Without looking back, Kimimaro crept over to the door into the main bedroom, opening it on silent hinges and stepping inside.

The room was dark, the curtains drawn against the morning light, and all Kimimaro could see of Haku was the very top of his head peeking from beneath a cocoon of covers. Kimimaro felt his expression grow tender as he approached and spied the bottle of Ambien on the nightstand next to Haku’s phone. For a split second, Kimimaro panicked and then he heard Haku’s deep, even breathing. He only took the sleeping medicine once in a while these days, and it explained the missed calls. 

Cautiously, Kimimaro crawled onto the bed and over to Haku. The young man stirred when Kimi kissed his hair, and he rolled over onto his back when Kimimaro leaned to rest on his elbow, body sideways and covering Haku’s. 

“Kimi?” Haku asked, groggy and adorable as he blinked up at Kimimaro. After a few seconds, Haku sighed, smile playing over his lips. “You’re back.”

“I’m back,” Kimimaro agreed.

“Mm,” Haku said and yawned. “Hold me?” 

Obediently, Kimimaro crawled onto the other side of Haku’s body and pulled the smaller man and the covers toward him in an embrace. Haku’s lips nuzzled and kissed Kimimaro’s neck, making him shiver, and Haku sighed again: the sound both content and forlorn.

“Haku…” Kimimaro’s mouth went dry, and he was unsure what to say.

“Hm?” 

“There’s…someone here to meet you.”

“Hm?” Haku asked again, this one more confused but still drowsy.

“The man, from last night, he--”

“What?” Haku asked, pulling back to look dazedly at Kimi. 

“The Master. He wanted to meet you.” 

Haku shook his head, mouth turned down. “You brought him here?”

“I had to,” Kimimaro whispered, one hand coming up to stroke Haku’s flushed cheek. “He asked to come so he could meet you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Eyes searching Haku’s face desperately, Kimimaro tried again. “Master Neji told him some about our situation, and last night…I…I told him everything.” Kimimaro went six shades of red in shame as Haku’s eyes widened. 

“He didn’t take it badly, and I had to tell him. We fought,” Kimimaro said quickly. “But it wasn’t like that…”

“Then what was it like, Kimimaro?” Haku asked, voice surer but dull.

“I said your name in my sleep, and he put two and two together. So I told him about you, he said he understood that I loved you, and that he should meet you.”

“Why?” Haku asked, eyes bright with focus and making Kimi feel like he squirmed beneath an interrogator’s spotlight.

“To get your blessing, or maybe to--”

“Because he wants you again.”

“Haku, that’s what I’m trying to say,” Kimimaro said, louder and rushed. “I think he wants to meet you to…maybe…ask you if…to see if you’d…” Kimimaro faltered hard, words a stumbling mess, and he wanted to yell in frustration, but then he saw the confusion and anger clear from Haku’s eyes and realization dawned.

“No,” Haku gasped, but in disbelief, not rejection.

Kimimaro nodded, eagerly, and Haku squeaked, sat up, and smacked the shit out of Kimimaro’s arm.

“Ow!” Kimi protested.

“How could you  _ do _ this to me?” Haku said in a sizzling hiss as he scrabbled out of the bed, covers and sheet flying, and stalked toward the bathroom.

“I’m sorry,” Kimimaro said, moving fast to keep up with Haku and watching as the boy stripped off Kimimaro’s t-shirt and stood at the sink in silk pajama pants retrieving Kimi’s toothbrush.

“He’s here.”

“Yes,” Kimi affirmed.

“What, in the damned living room?” Haku asked, getting paste on bristles and shoving the brush into his mouth.

“Well, he’s not on the roof, Haku,” Kimi retorted, exasperated. 

“Ew coon’t ‘et ee  _ go _ ?”

Kimi translated that, trying sincerely not to laugh at the dark scowl Haku shot him as he scrubbed his tongue. “I tried to let you know. I called, but you didn’t answer.”

Haku spat into the sink. “Why are you still here?”

“What do you - ?”

“As opposed to out  _ there _ asking our  _ guest _ if he’d like  _ breakfast? _ ” Haku hissed, and Kimimaro’s eyes widened at the venom behind the words. He couldn’t even bring himself to be angry; seeing Haku this upset made him hurt too much.

“Haku, I thought…that this would be a good thing.”

“A…a…good? Oh God,” Haku gasped, pained. He dropped the brush into the sink and he covered his mouth with one hand. “Kimi…it’s a…I…” 

Kimimaro shushed the smaller man and grappled him into a hug. “It’s okay,” Kimimaro said. 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that this is anything but amazing. It's a  _ wonderful  _ thing. I feel like I’m going to wake up from a dream any second. And I’m just shocked and a mess and he’s  _ here _ and what if he doesn’t  _ like _ me, and…”

“Haku, Itachi’s going to – ”

_ “ITACHI?”  _

Kimimaro full-body flinched at the sheer volume, and Haku clapped both hands over his mouth with a choked, muffled cry of horror.

“Haku!” Kimimaro protested, voice lowered. 

“Itachi.  _ Uchiha _ Itachi?” Haku whispered.

“Yes,” Kimi answered, frowning and wondering why Haku looked like he was going to climb out a window.

“As in Nagato’s Itachi?” Haku looked an unhealthy shade of white, and Kimimaro grabbed him when Haku swayed.

“Yes. Itachi. The switch from Haze who used to play with Lord Pein, but I think-- ”

There was a knock on the bedroom door, soft and polite.

“Oh,” Haku whimpered. “Kimi…I…”

“What’s wrong?” Kimimaro asked. 

“Make him go away,” Haku said so softly Kimimaro barely heard him. “I can’t see someone like that looking like  _ this _ . It’s…it’s… _ blasphemy.” _

“Haku, I think that’s a little--”

The door opened and Kimimaro nearly pulled something as he snapped his neck to look at Itachi. Haku stopped breathing and watched with Kimi as the Uchiha calmly stepped into the bedroom.

“Forgive me,” Itachi said, one hand on the doorknob and voice gentle. “I heard commotion.” He paused. “And my name.”

Kimimaro started to say something appropriate but got entirely distracted when Haku stepped away from him, walked quickly out of the bathroom and stopped next to the bed. He tossed his sleep-tousled hair over one shoulder, bowed low at the waist and held the pose, one hand going out to the side in a graceful sweep of sinewy arm and upturned palm. “Forgive us, Sir,” Haku said in a respectful, sure voice that made the hair on Kimi’s arms stand on end. 

“We did not intend to keep you waiting. Kimimaro and I were just discussing plans for breakfast and attempting to make me more presentable for a first meeting befitting your cause and station. My humble apologies and deep regret that you should see us in such a state.”

Kimimaro blinked. Itachi’s mouth opened and closed, and he glanced at Kimi before stepping further into the room. He cleared his throat.

“I accept your apology in humble gratitude, Haku,” Itachi rumbled. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused distress with my sudden arrival, but I was eager to meet the man whom Kimimaro spoke so highly of last night and this morning, as anyone so precious to him must be a treasure, indeed.”

Kimimaro stared at Itachi and his eyes swung back to Haku as the boy bowed lower before rising, hands clasped behind his back, eyes down. Kimi shifted his weight, feeling like he was somehow…intruding.

“I am humbled by such an opinion, good Sir, and fear I shall never be able to adequately achieve a status worthy of it,” Haku said. 

“I disagree,” Itachi said, walking closer. Kimimaro saw Haku flinch, and Itachi paused, expression momentarily pained. He glanced at Kimi, who nodded and walked over to rest his hand on Haku’s bare back.

“Itachi was very good to me last night, Haku,” Kimimaro said softly. 

“I have no doubt,” Haku said deferentially. 

“Haku,” Kimi sighed, wishing he knew what to do to make this easier.

“May I come closer?” Itachi asked.

“Of course,” Kimimaro answered immediately, and beneath his palm, Haku tensed. Kimimaro looked down at Haku, hand rubbing in a small circle. He wanted to hug him and tell him everything was fine, that Itachi would love him because Haku was impossible  _ not _ to love – that of the two of them, Haku was the one more worthy of such emotion – but fear and deep shame iced Kimi’s heart as he wondered if that was his own bias and longing overriding all else.

“Haku?” Itachi said quietly, not moving.

“Yes,” Haku said softly. “You may come closer, Sir.”

Itachi hummed, a pleased sound, and Kimimaro repressed a shiver of delight. Haku remained tense but somehow made it look entirely natural, and a piece of Kimi’s heart tried to break off from the whole. He made a soft noise, soothing, and Haku’s head leaned minutely toward Kimi.

Arm and palm outstretched, Itachi stopped a foot away from Kimimaro and Haku, and obediently Haku held out one hand. Itachi took it, raised it to his lips and kissed the knuckles, pulling a soft gasp from Haku that Kimi barely heard. 

“Do you think I could be merely ‘Itachi’ to you, Haku?” the man asked, voice so gentle it made Kimi ache. It reminded him of Masters Neji and Iruka and Kakashi, and he looked at Itachi in gratitude. The Uchiha’s eyes were on Haku, and he curled Haku’s small hand into a ball and held it against Itachi’s face. 

“I’d so like to hear you say my name,” Itachi said quietly.

“Of course, Itachi,” Haku said immediately, still quiet and respectful. Kimimaro saw how his chest rose and fell faster, however, and noted the way the tip of his ear turned pink. He smiled at the tells and then at Itachi.

“You’re more lovely than any memory could do justice,” Itachi said with a sigh, and Kimimaro relaxed when he saw Haku’s shoulders release some of their tension. 

“I’m happy to get to meet you like this,” Itachi continued. “Though I’m sorry if it’s not to your liking.” Haku bit his lip and Itachi kissed his hand again. 

“It’s my fault,” Kimimaro said. 

“There is no blame,” Haku said, voice slightly sharper. “I merely prefer more time to be presentable. When possible,” he added quickly and Kimi put his arm around the younger man’s waist, hugging him sideways.

“I understand,” Itachi said. “Would a day suit you?”

“Itachi?” Haku asked and Kimimaro grinned at the slight offense he could hear in Haku’s tone. He looked to find the corner smile turning up the Uchiha’s lips, and he wanted to cry in delight.

“I’d like you to join me for dinner. Both of you.”

“We’re honored, but I’m not sure we can--” Haku said.

“We’re honored and would be delighted to attend--” Kimimaro said at the same time. He paused, frowned, and looked at Haku in confusion.

“Do you have other plans?” Itachi asked Haku, both hands moving to hold Haku’s small fist.

“No, Itachi,” Haku replied, head raising.

“What is it?” Itachi asked.

Haku sighed, straightened, and Kimi’s mouth fell open as Haku looked Itachi in the eye. “It’s easy for Kimi – the man you wanted, sought out, and played with last night – to want to trust you. To find it easier than I do to trust you. Kimimaro is loyal to all he serves, and I take comfort knowing he finds you worthy of such things but none in how easily he does it.”

Kimimaro gaped. Itachi listened.

“He says you’ve implied that you might want us both. Or that you understand Kimimaro is the kind of man who cannot leave behind someone he loves no matter how much he may want to be with you. It’s one of the reasons I chose him to trust, and one of the reasons I care for him as I do.”

“Haku…” Kimimaro tried to breathe, heart pounding.

“However,” Haku said, light voice stern and cutting off Kimimaro. “Part of that care means I need to know if the dinner tonight is an audition, a supplication, or a way to placate me so you may get what you want.”

Kimimaro made a strangled noise, but Haku looked hard at Itachi, unflinching.

“Silk and iron,” Itachi murmured.

“Only because he loves me,” Haku answered, and Kimimaro leaned to rest his forehead against Haku’s hair. 

Looking down at Haku’s hand, Itachi seemed to mull everything over and organize his thoughts. Haku waited and Kimimaro breathed too hard and too loudly in the silence.

“I am…greedy,” Itachi said at long last, voice steady but with a threadbare honesty woven among the syllables that made Kimimaro want to hold him. “Kimimaro -- when he agreed to our night -- it made me greedy. And when he spoke of you, it made me…” Itachi frowned, face drawn, and the circles under his eyes appeared darker. “Made me want to be closer to you both. To understand your strength, to be a part of something for the first time in a long time, and to help, if I can. Help heal. Fill desire. Be…” Itachi looked up, gaze defiant and tired. “Be desired.” He looked at Kimi and then back at Haku, shaking his head. “Greedy. Asking too much, perhaps.”

“You hurt, too,” Haku said, something like wonder in his voice.

“I helped my father die against the wishes of family and shareholders,” Itachi said with an unwavering gaze and a graveyard voice. “They tried to prosecute me for the service.”

“Why didn’t they?” Haku asked.

“Lawyers. Good ones. And I agreed to leave. My younger brother hated me, so I didn’t see the point of staying.”

“So you hid away and found Haze.”

Kimimaro listened in abject fascination, eyes wide and unseeing as the warm scent of Haku’s hair filled his nose.

“Yes,” Itachi answered.

“And then left altogether.”

“When I felt I’d served enough time beneath the whip.”

“You know what we want.”

“I do.”

“You’re a switch.”

“I felt the need to hurt for a long time.”

“And now?”

“Now I find my body enjoys giving and receiving pleasure and pain in equal measure.”

“Ah,” Haku said.

Kimimaro swallowed, blushing as he felt himself begin to harden and turning away from Itachi to rest his cheek atop Haku’s head.

“I do not want mindless submissives,” Itachi said, and he took a step closer. “Those under my care will serve me but also themselves. I’m not Zabuza who wants leverage nor Orochimaru who delights in suffering. I like control, I love giving pain to those who want or need it, and my bed is wide and empty.” Kimimaro turned and jerked when he met Itachi’s gaze and it burned his veins with its intensity. 

“I’d like to change that,” Itachi stated.

It was Haku’s turn to consider, and again Kimimaro remained silent, eyes locked on Itachi’s and heart skipping beats. Itachi held Haku’s hand and reached to brush fingertips over Kimimaro’s face and jaw, making Kimi shiver.

“Haku…” Kimimaro finally said. “Please…”

“Dinner tonight as equals?” Haku asked, and Kimimaro knew Itachi couldn’t miss the breathlessness of it.

“I’d be honored,” Itachi replied.

“Where?”

“At my home.”

“Directions?”

“I’ll send a car. It’s about an hour from here.”

“Time?”

“The car will be here at five.”

“We accept,” Haku said, and Kimimaro felt him tremble.

“Thank you.” Itachi turned and kissed the inside of Haku’s wrist, squeezing his hand. He gently gripped Kimimaro’s face, thumb stroking over one cheekbone. It looked like it took a great deal for Itachi to drop his hands and pull away: the only sign a tightening of his full lips and a flex of jaw muscle. He nodded to them both and walked out of the room.

As soon as the front door opened and closed, Haku collapsed, sobbing and in near hysterics. Kimimaro sank to the floor with him and held him close and hard, kissing hair and cheeks and picking him up to carry him to bed when he began to shiver. Kimi felt wetness on his own face as he wrapped Haku up with body and blanket, kissing him gently between shuddering intakes of breath. 

“Kimi,” Haku rasped, kissing and holding: hands desperate over Kimimaro’s skin.

“I’m right here.”

“No, I…Kimi…oh God…” Haku looked at him, eyes wide and red-rimmed. “I…I  _ hope _ .”

“Me, too.”

Haku swallowed and buried his face in Kimimaro’s neck. “Shit,” he said quietly.

Kimimaro held him, both men eventually dozing off in each others’ arms.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Haku doesn't mess around, does he? Quite the intelligent, vulnerable, dangerous handful. *happy sighs* I know, I know, it's my own writings, but it's been so long since I read this it's like reading somebody else's work. *laughing* Forgive me, forgive me… And thank you, as always, for reading.
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	11. Chapter 11

"Are your eyes closed?" Haku asked from his bedroom.

"Yes," Kimimaro called back, hands up to block his sight as he sat in Haku's living room. 

"You  _ promise?"  _

Kimi felt a flicker of annoyance and then heard Haku giggle. Actually  _ giggle _ . Kimi grinned, body relaxing back on the couch. 

"I would never be so base as to lie to you," Kimimaro earnestly replied in his best subservient voice.

There was a pause, and Kimimaro heard the bedroom door creak open, a small intake of breath, and a soft, "Oh."

"What?" Kimimaro asked, alarmed.

"Nothing," Haku said immediately. "I just…like what you chose."

"Oh," Kimimaro said, feeling tension unwind in his gut. "I didn't…it was hard to…"

"Pick something to wear that didn't scream 'sub' or 'dom' or 'professional toy for grabs?'" Haku supplied.

Thinking of the agonizing hour Kimimaro spent in his meager closet discarding clothing options left and right, Kimimaro merely nodded. He'd finally chosen jeans without holes and a black, sleeveless shirt with a round collar that looked perfectly normal from the front but the back was made entirely of lace. The shirt was just stretchy enough to show off physique but not so clingy as to appear obvious, and Kimi grabbed his reasonably nice leather jacket to wear over the shirt. Plain black shoes and a black belt were the only two accessories he wore, other than the hair tie that secured his low ponytail. And all the jewelry, of course. But Kimimaro changed out his lip rings for simple studs and put a thinner ring through his septum. After that he had to say to hell with it and go to Haku's else he fret even longer and make them late.

"Can I look?" Kimi asked.

"Yes, you may," Haku answered, hesitant. Kimimaro uncovered his eyes and his jaw dropped. Haku's hair was loose, save for two braids he'd woven into it on one side. His large eyes were made even more luminous with dusky gray liner and a smear of shimmering silver over the lids. The shirt was a black silk peasant blouse with a wide collar woven with a string of velvet. The sleeves were long and airy, the cuffs tied with more pieces of velvet, but the body of the shirt was shaped and it tapered into a narrow band that hit just below Haku's waist. 

Beneath the shirt Haku wore a long, black skirt with asymmetrical hemline, the front of which fell to the tops of his black knee-high boots. The skirt was also black silk, but the bottom of it looked like it'd been dipped in blood-red paint, and the splatters came up and made a cherry-blossom pattern of twigs and blooms. Haku took two steps closer, the skirt flowed like water at night, and Kimimaro saw Haku's wrists and throat were bare of jewelry -- unusual for Haku -- but it meant the only sound he made when he moved was the whispering babble of fabric.

Haku's expression turned pleasantly hopeful when Kimimaro met his eyes. "Good, then?" Haku asked softly.

"Y-yeah," Kimimaro answered, nodding. "Oh, Haku…" 

Haku looked down at himself critically. "Not too…much?"

Kimimaro shook his head mutely, standing up to approach Haku, eyes fixated on the smaller man made taller by the boots. "You're beautiful," Kimimaro whispered.

Meeting Kimi's eyes, Haku bit his lip. "You don't think it'll bother him that I…dress like…"

"No," Kimimaro answered with a shake of his head. He reached and squeezed Haku's arms with both hands, rubbing palms over the fabric, fascinated. He'd never seen this particular outfit on Haku; it made him look tiny, lean…elegantly edible. 

"Okay, then. I trust you," Haku sighed, eyes turning coy as he reached up to wrap his arms around Kimi's neck. "You look nice, too," he said softly, kissing Kimmaro lightly and then hungrily. Kimi made a quiet sound of protest and lust as he pulled Haku to him. His eyes opened to half mast when he felt hardness hidden by layers of silk and trapped by functional undergarments against his thigh. He pressed Haku closer and heard him gasp, sound helpless and shooting straight to the center of Kimimaro's body to tug hard at his cock.

"Haku, you're--"

"I know," Haku whispered, hands sliding to Kimimaro's chest. "Been like that since we woke up to start getting ready." He sounded equally amazed and irritated, and a shudder rocked his shoulders.

"Should we--" 

"No," Haku answered, shaking his head. "I…I…" He bit his lip again, worrying it.

"Okay," Kimimaro said, and he brushed his fingers over a braid. 

"It's not that I think anything will happen, but… I just…"

"Hope it does?" Kimimaro finished.

Haku looked up at Kimi, face flushed and eyes uncertain. "Is it crazy to want that?"

"If it is, then we're both lunatics."

"What time is it?" Haku asked, head turning to try to see the clock in the kitchen.

"A quarter 'til five, I think. We need to go down to wait on the car." Kimimaro swallowed nerves.

"Tell me everything's okay," Haku whispered, clasping Kimimaro's hand in a tight grip.

"Everything's more than okay," Kimi reassured Haku. "Master Neji and Kakashi and Tenzou and Naruto all approve of Master Itachi." Kimimaro paused, and the words helped him find some modicum of peace. Then he frowned. "And, one would assume, so does Master Sasuke."

Haku made a face. Kimi laughed. "Come on -- let's go?"

Nodding and still holding Kimimaro's hand, Haku followed Kimimaro as the two men turned out the lights in Haku's apartment, grabbed Haku's keys and phone -- both of which went into Kimi's pockets -- and left. Kimimaro didn't say anything about how they were both acting as though they weren't coming back; not tonight, at any rate.

_ Maybe not ever. _

Kimi shook himself: that made no sense. At the very least, they'd have to get their things. Or drop off keys…

"What are you thinking?" Haku asked as they walked toward Kimimaro's building, both of them scanning and searching for an unfamiliar vehicle.

"That I'm… worried about getting ahead of myself," Kimimaro replied.

"Yes… I keep thinking that this is just dinner," Haku said thoughtfully. "Because it starts to hurt when I let myself want it to be more."

"I'm terrified because it already feels like more," Kimimaro said, words nearly choking him. 

Haku squeezed his hand and then linked their arms. "After all you told me of last night and this morning, I can see why you feel that way."

"I'm not worried about trusting him, though, Haku, and that's… foolish?"

"No, not really," Haku sighed, shaking his head as they stopped to wait for the car. "You said it yourself: he's vetted. And he proved himself to you last night." Haku paused, thinking. A light breeze rustled the branches of nearby trees and ruffled Haku's skirt, and Kimimaro fought the urge to pull Haku close to make himself feel safer.

"Being accepted and allowed by the Masters of Break to play isn't the same thing as earning ownership," Haku mused. "Or being qualified for such things. We know that. But I feel the same way you do. My instinct is that he's truthful and means what he says: that he's… greedy… for us both." Haku shivered, and Kimimaro knew it had nothing to do with the cool evening air. He also knew in that instant what was bothering him: Kimi believed Itachi wanted  _ him _ . And the hope that Itachi wanted  _ them  _ was trying to kill him.

"I don't think this is a trap or a ploy or a cruel joke," Haku continued. "I believe him to be serious, and I remember him at Haze." He looked off at the horizon, the sun low and golden and surrounded by wisps of clouds. "He was always entirely honest under the whip."

Kimimaro said nothing, feeling daggers cut into him at the thought of Itachi hurting in penance to his family, his guilt, and to his idea of self. 

"I already want to make him happy," Haku whispered.

"Me, too," Kimimaro fervently replied, thinking everything felt very simple and very complicated at the same time. He tried to focus on the simplicity so he could keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

"Do you think Master Neji knew?" Haku asked quietly.

"Knew?"

Haku looked at the ground, a braid falling forward to swing by his cheek. "Knew that when Itachi asked for you he might be someone who would ask for us both?"

Kimimaro blinked and considered. "I… I have no--" He stopped, remembering what Master Neji said--

_ "…he operates on no ulterior motive…" _

\--and Kimimaro heard the other, unspoken part of that statement, now: " _ But I always do." _

"It's Master Neji," Kimimaro said reverently. "Anything is possible."

Haku smiled up at Kimimaro, indulgently. "Then I am happy to try and trust the people we believe want to take care of us," Haku said, firmly. "And hope to enjoy dinner."

Kimimaro laughed. "Oh God… eating…"

"I know," Haku groaned. "I don't know if I could swallow anything right now."

With a glance down at the sidewalk and an amused quirk of lips, Kimimaro looked askance at Haku, who blinked and blushed before he turned toward the entrance of the apartment complex.

"But I'm sure I could make allowances for particularly tasty things."

"Of course," Kimimaro said seriously. "We both could. Chocolate, for instance, would be delightful." 

"Naturally," Haku replied in the same tone. 

"You always enjoy fine wine."

"Absolutely." Haku smiled.

"And we are sure to both sample and find satisfaction in Master Itachi's… cooking."

The hand-over-mouth giggles the words earned Kimimaro were worth their weight in gold, and Kimimaro wanted to freeze time and keep it in that moment: Kimi feeling lighthearted, and Haku gorgeous as he laughed.

With a sigh, Kimimaro stared at the entrance and saw a car slowing down and turning into the complex. Next to him, Haku stopped chuckling and emitted what could only be described as a startled squeak.

"What?" Kimi asked.

"That's… oh my God."

The car turned out to be a black limousine, an older model from what Kimimaro could tell, but Haku started breathing like he ran a race.

"I think that's the car?" Kimi said.

"That's a Bentley," Haku said as though declaring that the car was the second incarnation of the Christ child.

Kimimaro knew enough about cars to know they had wheels and engines, but he smiled as Haku practically squirmed in delight before making a visible effort to get a grip as the car drew nearer.

"I feel just a little like…" Haku trailed off, licking his lips.

"Cinderella?" Kimimaro suggested.

"Yes," Haku whispered, shooting a glance up at Kimi. 

"Me, too," Kimi replied, a secret between them.

Haku turned his head and pressed his mouth against Kimi's sleeve, eyes shut. "I… I could get used to it."

"You should have nothing less," Kimimaro said, affectionately kissing Haku's hair. The smaller man sighed, and the Bentley stopped in front of them. A man wearing a black uniform with silver buttons and sleek cap climbed out from behind the wheel.

"Good evening, gentlemen," said the driver as he took off his hat and gave a curt bow. His hair was gray, his mustache still mostly black, and his eyes were dark. He was between Haku and Kimimaro in height, of indeterminable age, and he extended a black-gloved hand to Kimimaro, which Kimi took. 

"Good evening," Kimi replied.

The man smiled and when Haku reached to take the driver's proffered hand, the man clasped Haku's fingers in a gentle squeeze, bent forward over their hands, and then let go. 

"I'm Merek, Lord Uchiha's driver among other things, and here to convey you to my Lord's estate in what I hope passes for a comfortable and soothing drive." Merek smiled, showing perfectly even teeth. Kimimaro thought he sounded faintly British.

"Pleasure to meet you," Haku said.

"Likewise. Now please, if you'll allow me." Merek stepped to open the back door of the car, and Haku nodded as he again took Merek's hand and slipped inside. Kimimaro smiled politely as he got in after Haku, and Merek shut the door. The interior of the car was gray leather, nothing particularly astonishing but very comfortable. Haku settled on the seat next to Kimi with a sigh of pleasure.

Another door closed and Kimimaro saw Merek situate himself behind the wheel, hat back in place. "Would you care for music, conversation, or silence?" Merek asked, eyes up in the rearview mirror.

"Music, please," Haku answered.

"Of what variety?"

Haku considered, one finger on his chin, and Kimimaro felt warmth flush through him at seeing Haku so happy. 

"Something Lord Uchiha enjoys," Haku answered.

"Well done, sir," Merek replied, sounding genuinely pleased. A second later, Rachmaninoff filled the car, low and peaceful.

"Oh," Haku said, wistful and resting his head back against the seat. "Thank you, Merek."

"Done with delight, gentle sir. Now then, my fellow travelers, the GPS informs me that our drive shall be just over an hour. I'm happy to leave you to private conversation, and please buzz me with the intercom button on the door panel should you need anything at all." 

"Thank you," Kimimaro said. 

"But of course, sir," Merek replied and the screen rolled up between the front and aft compartments. As soon as the car started moving, Haku slid across the seat and reached for Kimimaro.

"I'm afraid I'll muss you," Kimimaro said, hesitating.

"I want you to hold me more than I want unwrinkled clothing," Haku said simply, and Kimimaro took the other man at his word, gently pulling him into Kimimaro's lap and letting Haku lean against one shoulder. Moments passed, lost to thoughts of what the evening might entail, and Kimi was content, nervous, terrified, eager, and must still be riding the Scene high as despite it all, his mind was quiet. His guts churned, but his brain seemed to believe circumstances were progressing in the natural order of things. Fairytale or not, holding Haku in the back of a fancy car when they were headed to a dinner with a fascinating and beautiful man felt amazing. Kimimaro clung to that, to the image of Haku laughing, and Kimimaro closed his eyes.

"I'm so nervous," Haku said breathlessly, shifting in Kimimaro's hold.

"I won't let him hurt you." Kimimaro blinked at the words, frowning at the vehemence of his tone.

Haku clasped Kimi's leather jacket. "I know. You will not let me be a burden so that he may have you, and I will not let you be the object of a cruel man's desire."

"Thank you," Kimimaro said, chest feeling like it might explode as he sighed. Haku twisted in his arms to look at him.

"But Lord Uchiha is not cruel." Haku's dark eyes darted back and forth, searching Kimi's face. 

"And you would be no sane man's burden," Kimi replied, earnest to his core.

Haku smiled, tiny white teeth flashing. One hand came up to cover his mouth as he spoke: "Listen to us."

"I know," Kimimaro replied, forehead touching Haku's, who chuckled, and then shifted with a hissing inhalation.

"Uncomfortable?" Kimimaro asked, voice slightly deeper.

"Ridiculously so," Haku mumbled, ducking under Kimimaro's chin. The acknowledgement and Haku's scent collided with an image of the Scene with Master Itachi: his lips forming the word "beautiful" against Kimi's cheek and the feel of him moving inside Kimimaro… filling him, and…

"I sympathize," Kimimaro whispered, and he shivered as he hardened. Haku squirmed in his grasp, pulling a gasp from both their lips. 

"He'd be pleased with us," Kimimaro whispered. "Aching for him and miles to go."

"I… I think he could just…" Haku shuddered and Kimimaro heard him make a sound like a trapped groan. "He could  _ look _ at me, put a hand on me, and I'd…"

"Come screaming?" Kimimaro husked with no small amount of chagrin.

Haku whimpered, and coals of lust burned bright in Kimimaro's groin. He kept his hands in carefully neutral places, merely holding; he didn’t want to tempt when Haku wanted to resist.

"He would like us this kind of nervous," Kimimaro said, swallowing, and trying very hard not to see Itachi's face when his lips were kiss-swollen and his eyelids were heavy with pleasure.

"Tell me more about him." Haku's fingers flexed on Kimimaro's arm. "Talk to me of mundane things or I'm not sure I'll make it."

For a moment, Kimimaro couldn't think of a thing to say that wasn't somehow sexual. "Oil," he said, a little too loudly as the fact occurred to him.

"Come again?"

Wincing at the turn of phrase, Kimimaro rubbed Haku's back, smoothing the shirt. "The Uchiha family made their fortune in oil, generations ago, now."

"I see," Haku said neutrally. "Tell me more?"

"I believe they immigrated here from Japan, and they were well established in their home country. They got a bit of a head start on the Hyuuga family, who began investing in steel and iron mines somewhere around the turn of the last century." Kimimaro paused, considered. "Possibly earlier."

"How do you know this?" 

Kimimaro shrugged. "My old master was interested in all the major families in Monoshizukanohi. Between him and Google, I filled in the details."

"Ah," Haku said, nodding. "And Uzumaki?"

"New money. Opened a chain of retail stores in the 1970s."

"Hatake?" 

"Military family, and the men married very well. Old money, not sure where it all materialized, but until Kakashi's parents died, they owned one of the oldest homes in Monoshizukanohi."

Haku resituated himself in Kimimaro's lap. "Thank you." He sighed, the sound easy and fluid and Kimimaro felt a bath of nerves and fear slosh through his insides. Wanting something so much could be so damned dangerous. He trusted Itachi -- wanted to, needed to, and his experience told him he was right to do so. He loved Haku -- wanted him content and smiling and peaceful. 

_ I believe…I'm serving them both. But in ways that pull me apart. _

"Kimi…" Haku said, and Kimimaro let him shift to sit up, one small hand coming to touch Kimimaro's cheek. "Remember: we have each other. No matter what."

Kimimaro sighed and his lips were on Haku's before he could think twice about it. Immediately, he pulled back. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"More?" Haku whispered, leaning closer, long lashes on his cheeks. "Please… more?"

Kimi's mouth met Haku's in swift compliance, and the kiss was slow and gentle. When Kimimaro tried to pull away, Haku made a complaining noise and wrapped a hand around Kimi's neck, holding him in place. Haku's lips nibbled at Kimi's, and he returned the attention, but tongues stayed in their respective mouths and two sets of hands held, clutched, and remained determinedly platonically placed. 

After a moment or two, Haku began to tremble, and Kimimaro again tried to pull away and Haku stopped him. They held one another, mouths slowly sliding, slick and wet. Kimi felt his thoughts drift away, his focus on the silk beneath his palm, the heated skin under the fabric, the way Haku breathed fast and sharply through his nose. Kimi lost track of time, and classical piano formed the soundtrack to sweet kisses that worked very hard not to become urgent, desperate, or purposeful.

When Haku broke away, Kimimaro hugged him tightly. In mutual, silent agreement, the men shifted in the seat so their mouths had easy access to one another, and they spent the car ride in quiet repose; lips pressing when one or the other needed it, eyes meeting and speaking volumes without words.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ I don't know anyone in their right mind who would *mind* that Haku dresses as he does. :P And oh my… Merek. I missed you, too, buddy. Cheers, all!
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	12. Chapter 12

The drive continued: out of the city, beyond limits with which Kimimaro was familiar, and deep into the countryside. Rolling hills and mountains provided pleasant distraction, and Kimimaro and Haku watched the landscape change in quiet appreciation. 

Kimimaro had just pulled out his cell phone to check the time when a polite ding sounded in the car and the music stopped. Haku sat up and moved to perch next to Kimimaro, hands in his lap, and in a few seconds the divider between passenger and driver went down.

"Gentlemen," said Merek congenially. "I'm pleased to announce our impending arrival, and wondered if you'd like me to tell you some about Lord Uchiha's estate?"

"Oh, yes, please," Haku said, and Kimimaro nodded once. He saw the corners of Merek's eyes crinkle in the rearview mirror.

"Thank you for indulging me, gentle sir. If you both move to the left side of the vehicle, I can assure you it will provide for the best view."

Obediently, Kimi and Haku climbed over to stare out the windows, and the first thing Kimimaro saw was a gray wall. 

"The stone-and-iron gate took three years to build, and it's twenty feet tall," Merek supplied, and Kimimaro nodded dumbly at the imposing structure. Massive iron-tooled doors stood sealed with a large, "U" in the center, and they swung open as Merek approached.

"You'll feel very safe here, I assure you, as the property is constantly patrolled," Merek supplied, and Kimimaro caught a glimpse of security cameras. "But now for the fun stuff."

The car rolled onto the grounds, and a long flat plane of manicured grass spilled for what seemed to be miles. The tires hit cobblestone, and the Bentley slowed down. "The Uchiha Estate covers over one hundred acres of land, holds the main home, a guest house, and servants' quarters as well as a stable and other assorted buildings. All of the construction was completed over one hundred years ago, and the main house was once one of the largest private homes in the world."

Kimimaro gulped. Haku grinned at him. The car swung to the right, and Kimimaro and Haku both gasped as they saw the house looming in the distance: gothic architecture spanned wide and sprawling, spirals rising at uneven intervals. It was at least three stories tall, surrounded by large terraces and porticos, and made entirely of dull-colored brick and gray stone. Ivy covered portions of the front facings, and even from this distance, Kimimaro could see huge windows revealing chandeliers glowing with warm light.

In front of the house was a wide, circular, drive that wrapped around a stone fountain, lawn extending all the way to the pavers. Sycamores, elms, and shrubs stood guard in carefully manicured plots of mulch, and most of the leaves were changed into fiery reds, oranges, and yellows.

"Oh," Haku said softly, and he reached to take Kimimaro's hand.

"Cinderella," Kimimaro whispered. Haku merely nodded.

"Lord Uchiha enjoys roses and orchids, and maintains a rose maze behind the main house and a greenhouse full of his favorite flowers," Merek continued. "The house itself has 180 rooms, though some have fallen closed or into storage. The master wing was once featured in a series of magazine spreads before Lord Uchiha decided he was happier if people did not know where or how he slept."

Haku giggled, and Kimimaro managed a smile, eyes on the trees and heart aching in his chest. He didn't… deserve any of this. It was all too much. But Haku…

Kimimaro squeezed Haku's hand, and when the younger man looked at him, his expression changed to one of concern. Kimi shut his eyes when light kisses pressed against his throat. 

"Together or not at all," Haku said quietly. Kimimaro shook his head once, but Haku put a finger to Kimi's lips. "I need you," Haku said, soft but fervent.

Kimimaro buried his face in Haku's hair, the smaller man's arms going about his neck, and the car rolled to a gentle stop. "Good sirs, I'm happy to allow you a moment or two alone. I'll be just outside at your service."

Merek climbed out, and Kimimaro blushed, ashamed to make someone else wait for him, but reluctant to leave the safety of Haku's embrace. Haku held him for a long moment before Kimi finally pulled back with a sigh.

"I'm okay," Kimi said.

"I know you are. And because you are, so shall I be." Haku leaned forward and kissed Kimimaro's cheek with such a faint brush of lips he barely felt it at all. 

"We should go," Kimi said. "I can't stand the thought of keeping him waiting."

"Me, either," Haku agreed, smoothing hands over his hair, shirt, and then skirt. Kimimaro reached for the handle and the moment it clicked, Merek took over: swinging the door wide and offering a hand again to Haku.

"Thank you," Haku said, taking the assistance. The same hand came to help Kimimaro, and he took it despite feeling like he shouldn't. Merek's gloved fingers clasped his, warm and steady, and Kimimaro got out into the brisk air. He gaped up at the imposing structure with the wide, oak doors and contemplated the vast emptiness of space.

"Master Ita…er," Kimimaro paused. "Lord Uchiha lives here by himself?" 

Merek nodded. "There's a servant staff who stay on-grounds, but he is…alone. Yes."

Merek's dark-eyed gaze was appraising and calm, and Kimimaro was about to say something more when Haku's -- "Kimi?" -- interrupted him.

"Hm?" Kimimaro said, turning to walk over to Haku who stood next to the stone fountain with one hand over his mouth. "What's…" Kimimaro stopped speaking and stared.

Lying on their sides along the bottom of the marble basin were fish. Fake fish. Plastic, garish, toy things in brilliant-colored hues, many with oversized pink lips and wind-up sticks poking from their sides. Kimimaro and Haku stood, transfixed, and Kimi saw one pink flamingo resting on its head, the post meant to go into the ground jutting up and resting on the fountain's edge.

_ The…hell…? _

"Ah," Merek said, and Kimi and Haku turned to watch the man approach, his hands clasped behind his back and amusement dancing over his features. "What you are observing gentlemen is one Uzumaki Naruto's sense of the frivolous. He seems to think Lord Uchiha is in… need of such things."

"Naruto?" Kimimaro asked in wonder.

"Indeed," Merek confirmed. "Lord Uchiha's younger brother's husband, if you'll allow me the term. He brings some of these lovely fishies with him every time they visit. Though," Merek paused. "I do believe the flamingo originally went into the yard, but Lord Uchiha obviously thought he'd find a better home amongst his gilled kin."

The image of Itachi calmly removing a flamingo from the grass and tossing it into the fountain was too much for Kimimaro, and he had to work hard to contain laughter that he covered with a cough. He turned to Haku, who stood wide-eyed and nearly confused, and Kimimaro shrugged, helpless. Haku nodded once, chin tipping as though deep in thought. For no good reason at all, Kimimaro's heart began to pound, and he reached to clasp Haku's hand.

"If you gentle sirs will allow me to convey you into the house proper?" Merek asked with a sweep of his arm and inclination of his head. "I'm certain his Lordship is eager to greet you."

Shoes making dull reports on the cobblestone, Kimimaro and Haku followed Merek to the front of the manor, beneath the arch above the main door, and then entered after him. The sound of the heavy latch was distinct and imposing, but Kimimaro held on to the image of the wind-up fish in the pond as he and Haku walked into the Uchiha estate.

"Oh… oh  _ my _ …" Haku said in wonder.

"I'm so happy to hear it pleases you, sir," Merek said kindly, smiling at Haku who gaped with wide eyes at the entrance hall.

A lofty, massive room with dark-colored mosaic tile flooring, the first thing Kimimaro saw were the two grand staircases that curved up to the second floor. They were easily the largest he'd ever seen, even in pictures, and the risers and railings were black: the steps possibly marble or something similar and the banisters were wooden. Kimimaro turned his head and jumped at the enormous mirror surrounded with gargoyle heads that stood to his right and then again when he turned to the left and saw what appeared to be… a…

"Is that an iron maiden?" Haku asked, pointing one finger at the metal cabinet that was vaguely human-shaped.

"It is," Merek replied jovially. "Lord Uchiha has one of the finest collections of torture devices in the country, if I may be so bold to say. That piece has never actually been used, as is the case with most of them, but it dates from the early eighteenth century."

Kimimaro thought Merek sounded sad that the thing hadn't been put into service, but kept commentary to himself as he scanned the room. Chairs and tables, all in lush woods and deep-colored fabrics, made up little gathering areas and places to sit. Above them was a large, round, medieval chandelier with electric bulbs and lengths of chain draped over it. On the far side of the room was a fireplace as tall as Kimimaro. The opening was the mouth of a demonic creature, and two hands extended from the sides, one open and holding a pile of wood, one closed in a claw and holding pokers.

Above the demon-head fireplace was a family portrait. Kimimaro recognized a young Itachi and Sasuke, and assumed one man was the father and the other the uncle. A slack-eyed dog rested over Itachi's shoes. None of them were smiling.

The air smelled like lemon-scented wood polish, and Kimimaro sighed as he counted doors out of the hall: four. Two left, one back, and one right, all open and arched. Slowly, he and Haku took hesitant steps into the room, and Kimimaro observed the rather varied decorations: a statue of a clown in faded paint, a tall column vase, another metal cabinet that might be a torture chamber or might just be a regular piece of furniture -- Kimimaro honestly couldn't tell. Flowers perched on an end table on the far wall. There was a pretty-patterned rug in front of the demonic mouth of the fireplace -- floral. It was a gorgeous room. A grand room.

A thoroughly unsettling room.

"It's lovely," Haku said politely. Even Kimimaro couldn't tell if he was being honest.

"I'll convey your regards to the staff," Merek said. "Lord Uchiha should be along shortly. Please make yourselves comfortable." He bowed, turned, and exited out the front door. The hinges squeaked as it shut with a solid sound of metal and wood.

"Not so Cinderella," Haku whispered, after a beat or two, moving closer to Kimimaro.

"More Brothers Grimm," Kimimaro whispered back.

"…better," Haku said, luminous eyes shining up at Kimimaro, who smiled down at him. Movement made Haku and Kimi turn in unison, and they both stopped breathing as they watched Itachi quickly descend one of the staircases. He wore a button-down shirt, dark slacks and shoes, and his hair was pulled away from his face into a low tail, one strand escaping to brush his cheek. He didn't appear quite as tired, and he didn't look at the steps as he took them.

"Welcome," Itachi said as he approached, lips forming the almost-smile. To Kimimaro's delighted shock, Itachi walked up to him and wrapped him into a warm hug. It was slightly awkward as Itachi pinned one of Kimi's arms, but Kimimaro made due, free hand clutching at Itachi's back until he let go. A micro-frown creased Itachi's face and then he seemed to put something mentally aside, and Kimimaro reached out to squeeze his upper arm. Itachi smiled, grateful, and turned to Haku. He inhaled deeply through his nose and sighed.

"You look radiant, Haku," Itachi said with a nod of his head and a sweep of his gaze. He held out a hand to the blushing man, who took it. 

"My, my," Itachi said stepping back and then seamlessly twirling Haku with a flick of his wrist. Haku spun in a neat circle that sent the skirt to bloom in the air, smiling and biting his lip, blush deepening.

"Thank you, Itachi. It was my aim to please."

"Then you met your mark." Itachi's eyes danced, and Kimimaro ducked his head, warmth spreading through his chest.

"May I take your coat?" Itachi asked Kimi, arms out in an imploring gesture.

"If it's not too much trouble," Kimimaro said, shrugging out of the leather. 

"Not in the slightest," Itachi kindly replied. Kimimaro wondered at the three of them, playing so nicely on manners, poise, and unspoken rules. Itachi took Kimi's coat and hung it in a closet that Kimimaro didn't even know was there -- the front was covered in a mirror and Itachi pressed a panel to make the door pop open.

"Old house with a lot of history and need to hide things," Itachi supplied, pressing the panel closed again. He raised an eyebrow at Kimi and stepped closer, turning to look at Haku as his hand came up to caress over the lace covering Kimimaro's back. "I believe dinner is to be served soon." 

The hand on Kimimaro's shirt skimmed and made him shiver. Haku's eyes took in Kimi's face, and he smiled hesitantly at Itachi. "We're famished, I assure you."

"So I see," Itachi said, and Kimimaro's head tilted toward Itachi's shoulder. "Come with me." He stepped forward, arm still around Kimi's waist and he extended his other arm to Haku, who linked his own through it. 

"The drive?" Itachi asked, leading the three of them at an easy stroll toward one of the doors heading away from the reception hall.

"Lovely," Haku answered.

"And quick," Kimimaro added.

"I hope Merek kept you company."

"He's very knowledgeable," Kimimaro said.

"Told you some about the house and land, then?" Itachi asked. They passed under an archway and into a smaller room, full of floor-to-ceiling shelves heavy with books, papers, and knick-knacks. A woman bowed from the corner, dust cloth in her hand. 

"Meredith," Itachi said with a nod.

"Lord Uchiha," replied Meredith. "And guests." She turned back to her shelves and Kimimaro's eyes tried to see all the luster of smooth surfaces, all the edges of antique furniture, all the odd things in jars of amber liquid, but they quickly went on their way into a hallway lined with oily portraits.

"Is the title real or affectation?" Haku asked pleasantly.

"Real," Itachi replied. "My grandfather's fault, though the estate in England is nice. It took some time to get used to the staff addressing me that way. After father…"

"I would imagine so," Haku said mildly. 

"I was once 'master' to all of them, but they seem reluctant to revert back to that, and I'm not keen on them using the term, now, either." Itachi shrugged, and Kimimaro eyed the gilded portraits of dark-haired women and men sitting in pained poses on canvas.

"Are these… family?" Kimimaro asked, looking at a stern man in an uncomfortable-looking suit.

"Yes," Itachi said simply. "Mostly dead, now. Sasuke, Uncle and I are all that remain in contact with one another."

"Lonely," Haku said, echoing Kimimaro's words from when he and Itachi stood in the bathroom at Break. Itachi glanced down at the smaller man, and his arm tightened around Kimimaro.

"It is. I am. Yes."

"I know something of loneliness," Haku said very softly, eyes ahead of him. The three passed beneath another doorway and into an atrium: large, round, and done entirely in white marble tile that glistened beneath their feet. Fountains burbled and large windows spanned the length of one curved wall, the view beyond them of mountains, trees, and setting sun. Chairs, benches, and French tables interspersed plant life, and Kimimaro saw the real fish in the pond fed by the fountains, and he looked up to see that the room peaked and the ceiling was covered in a cracked mosaic depicting a canopy of trees. 

Haku stopped, and Itachi paused to watch him before Itachi finally replied, "I know you do."

"It's a terrible thing to be surrounded by people and know not a single soul cares for you," Haku said, gentle voice making the words even harder to bear.

"That is no longer your truth, Haku," Itachi said quietly. 

"He's right," Kimimaro agreed.

Haku turned his head and smiled at them both. It was a slow spread of lips that eventually showed teeth and real mirth. He lit up the room, brighter than the sunset, and Itachi hugged Kimimaro even harder as he sighed a note of longing.

"I'm beginning to see."

"Good," Itachi and Kimimaro said in unison, and Itachi faced Kimi and chuckled, amusement in his eyes. 

"Apologies, Itachi," Kimi said.

"Unnecessary but accepted," Itachi replied smoothly. "Let's continue shall we? Dinner."

The three walked along the path in the atrium and into another hallway. They passed by what Itachi called the banquet hall: "Seats over fifty people; no use to us tonight."

The room was lofted, had a golden ceiling, another enormous medieval chandelier, tall chairs with red cushions, and a stone fireplace large enough to roast a human being. Kimimaro didn’t have time to gather any more details as they continued, passing closed doors and more open rooms, and then finally walking into a narrower hallway with six synced ticking clocks and at long last into a room with high stained-glass windows. Plain windows curtained by dark green velvet ran along another wall and offered a view of the rose maze and part of the back lawn. A table that could seat ten was set for three -- all on one end. The chairs had green cushions matching the drapes, the fireplace was modest, the hearth held a collection of model cars and airplanes, the walls were plain cream with dark wainscoting, and several large vases held red roses and pale orchids in careful arrangements.

"More intimate," Itachi said, releasing them both. Haku went to the windows and Kimimaro stood near one chair. Itachi glided to a wall and pulled on a green rope which rang a bell that Kimimaro heard resounding through the house.

"Do either of you drink?" Itachi asked, moving to stand behind the chair at the head of the table.

Haku turned and his eyes gleamed at Kimimaro as he answered: "Wine?"

Kimimaro swallowed a smile, eyes down on the fine china plate.

"Good, it'll be served with dinner," Itachi said.

"Is there dessert?" Haku asked politely, eyes on Kimi's as he crossed to the chair to Itachi's right.

"Yes," Itachi answered mildly, looking back and forth between Haku and Kimimaro. "Something chocolate, I believe."

"Perfect," Kimimaro said, and then, to relieve the secret in the room, "Allow me, Itachi." Kimimaro held Itachi's chair, and he sat without comment. Kimimaro did the same for Haku and then took his own seat to Itachi's left.

A mere second later, staff entered -- a man and a woman in simple uniforms like Merek's -- and they set about pouring water and wine and serving the first course. Creamy soup filled bowls that sat next to large white plates holding a bite-sized bit of what Kimimaro thought was salmon. While the servants bustled, Kimimaro coldly contemplated his days with Orochimaru; an unpleasant lesson, table manners. And Kimimaro still wasn't sure what the point had been other than to appease Orochimaru's sadism. They had rarely ever eaten together.

_ Old things… _

"It's quite good, Kimi," Haku said. He sat straight in the chair, dabbed the corner of his mouth with a green linen napkin, and picked up a silver spoon, gaze intent.

"I'm sure it's easy enough to swallow," Kimimaro replied, carefully maneuvering the salmon to his mouth. It was delicious.

Itachi watched them both with amusement flickering in his dark eyes. "I usually don't do all this…" he mused.

"Oh?" Haku asked.

"Thought it would be…" 

"It's very nice, Itachi," Kimimaro said immediately.

The Uchiha smiled at Kimi. "Good. I think I'd quite like your company for dinner more often." Haku didn't reply at first, staring at his soup.

"I'm sure that could be arranged," Kimi replied.

"Yes," Haku agreed. Itachi turned to the small man, and Kimimaro could swear his skin lost some of its pallor, and he lit up from the inside. Haku and Kimimaro spooned their soup -- also extremely good, though Kimi had no idea what it was -- and Itatchi sat and watched for a long moment.

"Tell me about yourself, Haku," Itachi said, voice making both Haku and Kimi start. Itachi's soup sat untouched, and he leaned on an elbow braced on the table, fist under his chin. "I know some of Kimimaro. I'd like to hear of you."

Haku's expression was adorably flustered for a microsecond before he spoke. "What would you like to know?"

"What do you like to do?"

Haku's face remained calm, but Kimimaro saw the way his eyes shuttered and lips pursed. Kimimaro couldn't stand to watch Haku struggle for the exact right words when he knew anything Haku said would be taken well. 

"Bake," Kimimaro answered, and both Itachi and Haku looked at him. "You like to bake?"

Haku licked his lips. "I do. I play piano reasonably well. It was something I learned while I served…" He paused. "I had lessons."

"There's a piano in my chambers," Itachi mused. 

Kimimaro swallowed soup a little too fast as he thought of musical instruments that large in Itachi's… bedroom…

"I'd be happy to play for you," Haku said deferentially.

"I would like that. What else do you enjoy?" Itachi asked, curious and looking from Haku to Kimimaro to indicate it was now an open question for both men. 

"Travel," Haku said quietly, eyes flicking up to Kimi, who worried at the glimpse of gaze. Though his answers were poised and posture straight, Haku was taut with tension. He was trying desperately to please; to prove worth as he didn't understand his innate value. Kimimaro longed to say something soothing but didn't know what or how.

"Oh?" Itachi asked.

"It's supposition, really," Haku said with a dismissive wave of his hand, eyes down and mouth pinched. Kimimaro saw Itachi lean toward Haku and mimicked the movement himself.

"It's something Haku and I talk about sometimes," Kimimaro explained, feeling the slow burn of focus in Itachi's eyes. Kimimaro felt lost in the stare. It would probably be bad to explain that talking of places they wanted to go was a way Kimimaro used to distract Haku when things were bleak, morale was low, and it was hard for Kimimaro to find hope hiding in its dark corner of the closet. "Merely conjecture as neither of us have really… seen much, so sometimes we talk about where we'd go if we could go anywhere at all."

"It's a fun game," Haku said. "Appealing since Zabuza usually left me at home." He froze and flushed at the mention of the other man's name, hands falling to his lap and shoulders coming up as he tucked chin to chest.

"And Orochimaru hated to leave the city," Kimimaro said, speaking the name that so rarely left his lips. Haku smiled up at him, grateful.

Itachi made an unhappy sound but was interrupted by another flurry of activity as the soup was cleared away -- Itachi's uneaten, Kimi noticed -- and the next course was served. Wine and water poured into glasses again, and Kimimaro watched Itachi, whose gaze was inward and brow lightly lined in thought.

Staff retreating, Kimimaro leaned forward and bit at a stud in his lip. Haku stared at Kimimaro, eyes searching, and the desperation there made Kimi ache. He longed to tell Haku that everything was fine; Itachi enjoyed his silences and it was no reflection on Haku. At least, Kimimaro didn't think so. He tried to put that into his expression, and he reached to slide a salt shaker toward Haku, thinking maybe he could touch Haku's hand when Haku took it; offer small comfort to the man caught in the hell of want and worry.

"Well," Itachi began, shifting to rest both elbows on the table.

"I apologize for--" Haku said at the same time, reaching for Kimi and the salt. And then Kimimaro didn't know what happened. He knew Haku's hand flew too fast across the table -- a sure sign that the internal strife was at a boiling point. Kimimaro saw it when the wine and water glasses wobbled, but by all rights and laws of physics, the glasses should have remained upright. Haku barely brushed them: a caress, not a knock.

Nevertheless, the fine stemware shook once before they both spilled and sloshed an impossible amount of liquid onto the table, Itachi's plate, and ultimately into Itachi's face and lap. Itachi moved fast -- his reaction time impeccable -- but his chin still dripped wine and his black shirt took on a soaked sheen.

Kimimaro stopped breathing. Haku squeaked, the noise tiny and choked as his face drained of color.

"Oh God," Kimi said, grabbing his linen napkin and throwing himself forward to stop the incessant dripping from table to floor. 

"It's all right," Itachi said, sounding almost amused as he wadded up his soaked napkin. He wiped the back of his wrist over his chin. "Just a spill, it's--"

And of course at that moment, the servants reappeared for some ungodly reason, and Haku jerked like someone sent electric volts through his body. 

"My Lord," said the woman, quickly setting down a dish and pulling a towel from somewhere to dab at Itachi's shirt.

"Stop that," Itachi said, irritated as he grabbed the cloth from the woman's hands. "It's mostly water."

"Itachi, we're so sorry for the trouble," Kimimaro said, still wiping up the spill. A chair scraped, the woman fussed, Itachi chuckled, managing to sound both distracted and irked, and Kimimaro frowned when he rose up from his half-prone position over the table and spied Haku's empty seat.

"Sir?" said the male servant, voice high in alarm.

"Haku," Itachi said, shoving the woman abruptly aside. 

"Is he…?" the woman asked.

Kimimaro got up, stepped around the table, and sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. Haku was on the floor, hands flat on the ground, forehead on the soiled rug, hair spilling everywhere, legs tucked beneath his body. 

"Leave us," Itachi commanded, the two words regal and unarguable. With haste the two staff members left the room, and Kimimaro forced himself to stay despite the urge to obey and follow the other servants. He gasped when Itachi went to his knees next to Haku. Itachi rumbled a quiet sound and reached to touch Haku's shoulder, and Kimimaro wanted to cry when Haku's entire body flinched.

"Oh," Itachi said, pained as he snatched back his hand like something burned him. "Kimimaro?" he asked, turning to Kimi with an expression of ache, fear, and concern.

Quickly, Kimimaro navigated to kneel next to the prostrate man. "Haku, it's me," Kimi said softly, bending over Haku's back, hands hovering in prelude to touch. "Everything's all right."

"An accident, Haku," Itachi said, voice a low murmur that didn't betray any of the sorrow Kimimaro could see on his face. Itachi bent low, head almost even with Haku's, and Kimimaro's chest hurt.

"And this is a beautiful apology which I wholly accept, so please let Kimimaro help you to your feet?" The plea in Itachi's voice was plain, and Haku shivered, hands forming fists.

"Just me, Haku," Kimimaro said again, fingertips petting Haku's heaving back. He caressed the silky shirt, rubbing slow circles, and Haku rose to kneel, hair obscuring his face. 

Rising with Haku, Itachi reached again for the upset man but stopped himself, hands falling to his thighs. "Will you let Kimimaro hold you, Haku? Please?"

Without a word, Haku leaned toward Kimi, who hugged Haku in a tight embrace. All three men remained motionless on the rug, waiting, until finally Itachi and Kimimaro's eyes met.

"I'm going upstairs, and I'd like you both to come with me," Itachi said.

"Of course, Itachi," Kimimaro said quietly, and relief washed through him when Haku's arms snaked around Kimi's neck. 

"Carry him?" Itachi asked, and Kimimaro saw the scrutiny of the dark gaze.

"Yes," Kimi said simply, reaching to get an arm under Haku's knees. The smaller man stayed silent and continued to hide behind the curtain of his hair. Kimimaro didn't like that, but he nodded at Itachi and stood, lifting Haku with ease.

Itachi got up, and Kimimaro hurried to keep up with the Uchiha, who moved speedily through a series of rooms and into the main hall again. They crossed the floor, footsteps echoing, and Itachi began to climb the stairs. Kimimaro followed, Haku quiet and still in his arms.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ It's a very specific kind of PTSD that Haku has, and good God, it's painful to watch. 
> 
> ∞ Also, for anyone who would like to Google, the Uchiha Manor looks like a cross between Biltmore Estate and  
> Misselthwaite Manor - the Vanderbilt home and the house from The Secret Garden, respectively.
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	13. Chapter 13

"It's okay," Kimi whispered. Haku's fingers tightened on Kimimaro's shirt, and Kimi sighed, relieved Haku responded. 

The trio walked along a landing and turned a corner to go down a short, wide hallway. Dim wall sconces illuminated their path in dull, orange glow and mirrors reflected their progress. Kimimaro almost tripped when he saw the doors they approached but managed to hang on to his balance. 

"Haku… look…"

Head turning, both Haku and Kimimaro stared at the arched double doorway into what Kimimaro assumed was Itachi's bedroom. The heavy doors were wide and intricately carved. Kimimaro didn't know much about art or religion, but he recognized the Tree of Knowledge and the Garden of Eden. The tree was in the middle, sun and moon above it on either side. Eve stood beneath the tree on the right, and Adam knelt on the left, hands behind his back. Eve held out fruit in one hand, body tilted as though she knew she was teasing, and Adam bent at the waist, reaching for it with his open mouth. Below the pair, hundreds of arms reached up in supplication and from the heavens two hands came down to cup around the entire scene.

Kimimaro's throat worked in a hard swallow as he followed Itachi into the room beyond, the doors opening on silent hinges. As he stepped into the master chambers, Haku made a quiet noise.

"Yeah," Kimimaro whispered in agreed awe. 

They stood in a large, open sitting room, though it appeared Itachi used the room to work, not to relax. A small chandelier provided light. Floor-to-ceiling shelving covered two walls, the wooden floors were covered in dark blue rugs, the chairs and benches were done in striped blue and gray fabrics, and there were tables scattered about covered in paperwork, two laptops, rolled plans, one top hat, pens, and all sorts of other things. In the far corner a baby grand piano stood in a rounded nook encircled by windows that extended to run along the right wall, dark blue drapes swept back and letting in inky darkness. 

"This way," Itachi said when Kimimaro stood dumbstruck. He turned to follow Itachi through pocket doors, and they walked through another sitting room. This one, however, had a sectional sofa that somehow managed to resemble an antique despite its fashionable leather. A flat-screen TV covered most of the opposite wall, surrounded by shelves full of everything from DVD cases to crystal balls. The walls were dark, two small lamps lit the windowless space, and there was a collection of dirty dishware on one table. Kimimaro stared at the evidence of Itachi -- of where he liked to stay and how he liked to live -- and felt a deep pang of desire.

Continuing, they walked through another set of pocket doors and into a fan-shaped room larger than the first, and Kimimaro couldn't help his gasp. Larger chandeliers lit the rich, royal blue walls that were topped with gold gilt crown molding and a tray ceiling carved in filigree. On the far side of the room was a solid, curved bank of windows masked by filmy drapes with blue and gold curtains held back by cords. In front of the windows was the biggest bed Kimimaro had ever seen -- far larger than even a king. A dark four-poster with black privacy curtains swept back on two sides, the posts were easily a foot square, almost touched the lofted ceiling, and they were carved with vines and flowers. The footboard was also carved and high, the top sculpted in a wave-like scoop. The bedspread was black with shining blue stripes, and dozens of pillows mounded up next to the headboard, which was carved with more Eden-themed imagery: the tree and the snake.

The right wall of the room had a bar, side chairs, and shelves. The left had an enormous bureau and chest of drawers flanking a door that led down a dark hallway. A seating area with couch, chair, and table was arranged to their left, and Itachi crossed to the sofa. "Here," he said, turning on a lamp.

Kimimaro sat on the deep, wide furniture, settling Haku next to him. Making sure his boots stayed off the fabric, the smaller man turned to lie across Kimi's lap so he could bury his face in Kimimaro's neck, his back to Itachi. Kimimaro peered at the Uchiha in alarm and apology, and met a studious gaze. Lips thin in emotions Kimimaro couldn't identify, Itachi stood straight.

"I'll be back," Itachi said, pivoting on his heel and making a fast retreat to the door leading off the main room. Kimimaro ached for the situation and for his dependence on Itachi to help make it right: a boon and burden, both.

"Did I ruin everything?" Haku asked after a moment of silence.

"No," Kimimaro answered, one hand rubbing Haku's back. He thought fast. "Did you hear what Itachi said? After it happened?"

"That it was… an accident?" 

"Exactly," Kimimaro said, the relief easy to express as it was also his own. He kneaded at Haku's tensed shoulders. "And he laughed at all the fuss, remember?"

"No," Haku answered, miserable, and Kimimaro hugged him tighter. 

"Should I leave?" Haku whispered, breath hot against Kimi's skin and forehead cool against Kimi's chin.

"No," Kimimaro replied emphatically. "He wants us here. He asked us both up to the room, Haku."

"But…" 

Haku stopped speaking when Kimimaro's head turned to watch Itachi return. He wore another dark dress shirt, this one not tucked into his slacks, and walked quickly to the couch only to slow down and pause next to it. He studied Kimimaro, and his expression spoke volumes of strategy and concern. His eyebrows went up and without lifting his arm he pointed at the couch and then to the door through which they'd come: asking what would be best for Haku. The question melted some of Kimi's tension: sharing the responsibility of doing what was best for the man in his arms made Kimimaro feel lighter and grateful and long for Itachi. He didn't know how to explain to the Uchiha that a show of affection would go a long way in easing Haku; didn't know how to tell the man that Haku desperately needed to be welcomed and wanted. And even if Kimimaro had the first clue as to how to talk about the situation or give particulars to help to resolve it, he couldn't say anything with Haku in his lap. 

Itachi took a small step closer, Kimimaro nodded once toward the couch, and tried to implore Itachi with his gaze. Satisfied, Itachi crossed to stand in front of Kimi, whose breath caught when Itachi knelt down in front of Kimi and Haku.

"Do you mind…?" Itachi asked, hands reaching for Kimimaro's shoes. 

Kimimaro's heart pounded harder. He wanted Itachi's hands on him almost as much as he wanted Itachi's touch, presence -- anything -- to soothe Haku. Not trusting his voice, he shook his head. It was consent enough, and Itachi set about untying laces and removing shoes. He took off the socks as well, setting everything aside before sliding his hands up to squeeze Kimimaro's knees. The sensation made Kimimaro bite his lip again, arms tightening reflexively about Haku.

"May I sit?" Itachi asked. Haku tensed and Kimimaro felt humid air blow faster against his throat. Kimi waited, finding patience in the midst of worry and want until finally Haku nodded. Hope bloomed inside Kimimaro's gut; if Haku allowed the man to be near, then maybe he would allow Itachi more privileges that Kimimaro truly believed would help them all.

"Yes," Kimimaro interpreted, just in case the movement was too slight for Itachi to see it.

"Thank you." Itachi sat down without touching Haku. For a long few seconds he stared at the two men and then licked his lips. "Kimimaro, do you think Haku would be more comfortable without his boots? They look lovely on, but I'd like to help him relax."

Blinking in wonder, Kimimaro loosened his hold as Haku shifted, and a soft noise that Kimi was certain Itachi could not hear reverberated against Kimi's neck. Glancing once at Itachi, Kimimaro kissed Haku's hair, let his lips catch strands while his hand dug into the muscles of Haku's back. He pleaded without sound, encouraged without words, and hoped Haku could find faith in Kimimaro if nothing else. Faith that Itachi wasn't angry, that he wanted them here, that Haku was not a bother, that these actions didn't make Haku weak or broken. Faith that they were all human, made errors, and that Haku no longer had to pay for such slights with currency that killed.

Itachi said nothing, but he shifted on the couch when Haku slowly straightened his knees, feet sliding toward Itachi. Kimimaro sighed in pained relief and kissed a braid in Haku's hair.

"I think he'd like that, yes," Kimimaro said.

With a polite inclination of his head, Itachi wrapped his hand around one leather-encased ankle. Kimimaro watched as Itachi shifted forward and cautiously but firmly worked his way up to the top of Haku's boot. Itachi found the zipper and slid it undone, pulling the shoe off in a fluid movement. Kimimaro's cock stirred in his jeans as Itachi got the other boot undone, and Haku's breathing grew deep and fast. The rise and fall of Haku's chest moved his entire body, pressed as it was against Kimi.

"Lovely," Itachi murmured as he observed the sheer black socks Haku wore. "Will he permit me to remove these as well?" 

Haku's mouth opened, and Kimimaro's eyelids fluttered as Haku pressed his lips against Kimi's throat. Need, hunger, and hesitation made the kiss a brand, and Kimimaro waited again. When Haku nodded this time, it was more distinct, and Kimimaro sighed. "Yes."

Pure heat waltzed with Kimimaro's anxiety as Itachi ran his hands over Haku's calf. Itachi's fingers dug in with extra pressure, and Haku shook in Kimi's arms. Kimimaro felt pangs of sympathy and kinship: it'd been ages since a Master touched Haku, and Kimimaro didn't have to imagine everything Haku felt. He knew.

Itachi rubbed, let his fingers climb, and then he unrolled one sock before repeating the same motions on the other leg. Kimimaro recalled Haku's words in the car, remembered his kisses, his clutches on Kimi's body. Kimimaro's eyes roamed up Haku's form and knew Haku was hard from the tenseness of his body, the sound and cadence of his breath, and because Kimi understood what the inherent approval of Itachi's touch would do and mean to Haku.

"So soft," Itachi murmured, one hand resting on the hairless skin of Haku's leg. In Zabuza's quest to keep Haku forever young, he'd sent Haku to Sasori and Deidara for laser hair removal beginning at puberty. On some days, Haku liked that fact of his life; found it easier to appear as he wished thanks to Zabuza's attentions. But on other days he hated it, as the choice was never truly his.

"Kimimaro, does Haku enjoy foot rubs?" Itachi asked mildly. 

Haku moaned in reply, the sound reverberating on Kimi's skin. Itachi's lips quirked, lines appearing around his eyes when his expression went tender. 

"He does," Kimimaro said.

"Will he roll to rest against you and watch me if I do that for him?"

Haku made Kimi shiver with two quick kisses pressed against Kimimaro's neck before he began to turn. Kimimaro and Haku's eyes met, and Kimi saw no trace of fear. Haku blinked, dazed as he hung onto the last shreds of willpower, and Kimi wanted to do anything to get Haku drunk on Itachi's care. He knew how fast he'd fallen, but he relied on the netting woven by men Kimi trusted. Kimi wanted to show Haku that allowing himself to jump from this ledge was safe. Kimimaro made an encouraging noise, moved to help Haku adjust, but the angle was awkward.

"Shift to let him rest between your legs, Kimimaro," Itachi directed, calm and collected. 

"Yes, Itachi," Kimimaro replied on automatic, complying. He got his leg up on the couch, knee bent and resting against the back. Kimi leaned on the high arm behind him, and Haku rested against Kimi's chest. Haku's breathing was entirely too quick for such simple things, and when the skirt shifted, Kimimaro saw evidence of his arousal despite the garments beneath meant to hide such things. The lingering touches, the gentle questions given to the man Haku trusted, and the praise were working wonders. Kimimaro knew things were overwhelming and dreamlike for Haku because he felt caught up in those peaceful waves, too. Kimi smoothed hands over Haku's arms, wrapping him in a hug. 

"Perfect," Itachi mumbled, picking up one of Haku's small feet and depositing it in his lap. He'd done nothing more than run his thumb up the middle of the sole and dig gently into the arch when Haku whimpered, lip caught between his teeth. Kimimaro didn't know what turned him on more: watching Itachi do anything at all or feeling Haku come undone while pressed against him. Everything was already so heady, and with Haku responding and amenable in his arms, Kimimaro began to sink into the place where there was only the overriding need to please.

"He does enjoy this," Itachi mused, bringing a soft sigh from Haku as he rubbed the tender skin at the base of Haku's toes. 

"I believe he enjoys you, Mas--" Kimimaro paused, frowning. "Itachi."

"Does he?" Itachi asked, pretending like he didn't hear Kimimaro's slip. Kimi wondered if it  _ was _ a slip at this point; hoped it wasn't.

"Yes, Itachi. We both do."

"Do you think he'd like more of me?" Itachi's eyes were on Haku as he spoke, but Haku kept his face turned to the side so as not to meet Itachi's gaze. 

"Itachi?" Kimimaro asked, unsure.

"I'd like to taste his skin," Itachi said softly. "Here." He rubbed his thumb over Haku's anklebone, and Haku made a noise behind pressed lips. Kimimaro's shoulders relaxed while his cock grew harder and his arms tightened around Haku.

"May I?" Itachi asked, eyes flicking up to meet Kimimaro's.

"Yes," Haku whispered.

"Kimimaro?" Itachi pressed.

"Yes," Kimi replied, voice heavy with gratitude and humility. 

Hum rumbling up Itachi's throat, he raised Haku's foot and bent his head so he could lay a gentle kiss to Haku's ankle. His tongue darted out and his eyes went up to watch them both. 

"Oh," Haku gasped, and he pushed back against Kimi's erection, making the other man grunt.

"Thank you," Itachi said, lowering Haku's leg and taking up the other in his hands. He gave that foot the same treatment as the first, chin down to watch as he worked. Haku barely remembered to breathe, and when Itachi's thumb caressed the same spot on his ankle as yet unmarked by a kiss, he shook all over. 

"May I taste here, as well?" Itachi asked.

"Y-yes," Haku answered, and Kimimaro echoed the sentiment. Itachi sighed through his nose, pressed his mouth to Haku's skin, and his lips lingered longer for the reprise. Haku made a small noise, and Kimimaro clung to the other man: to steady himself as much as Haku.

Itachi dragged his mouth over delicate bone. "Do you think Haku thought of where the evening might go when he chose this skirt, braided his hair, made his skin smell so sweet?" Itachi rumbled, kissing Haku again in the same spot. 

"I know he did," Kimimaro answered. The room was too hot, Haku was burning through the silk, and Kimi had to work to get his breathing under control. "He…"

"Mm?" Eyes like smoldering coals glanced up at Kimimaro. 

Unable to hold the stare, Kimi ducked his head. "He's been…" Kimimaro paused to squeeze his arms about the slight form within them. "He's been hard off and on since he began getting ready for dinner."

Haku went silent, chest stilling as he held his breath.

"Look at me, Haku. Please." Itachi's voice was a gentle command, and Haku turned to obey. Still he didn't breathe, and Kimimaro felt him tighten.

"Is that true, lovely boy?"

"Yes," Haku whispered.

Itachi's eyes slid shut and his shoulders sank as he rumbled a pleased sound that made Kimimaro's cock twitch and breath catch. Haku let go of a wavering gasp, and the foot and leg in Itachi's hands shook.

"Oh. I like knowing that," Itachi said, eyes opening and back on Haku. He lowered Haku's foot, removed his hands as his gaze turned affectionately heated. "In my greed, I want more of you both, tonight. As much as I can get or that you'll allow me."

"Yes, please," Haku whispered.

"Itachi… yes…" Kimimaro sighed, letting his own desire wash over the events of the night; sweep them from shore to let only the want for Master linger.

"Has there been anyone other than Kimimaro for you, Haku?" Itachi asked. 

"No, Itachi. Zabuza and Kimimaro are my only two lovers." Haku didn't even hesitate on the old Master's name, and Kimimaro felt something loosen inside himself. 

"The third one is the charm, so I hear," Itachi rumbled. Kimimaro swallowed a surprised laugh, and Haku's voice was full of a smile as he answered,

"I hear the same."

"Good. I wish to act toward resulting orgasms for all of us, and I won't feel the need for barriers."

Both Haku and Kimi shivered, and Kimimaro quietly moaned as he thought of Itachi moving within him. His blood began to sing with need, and he knew if he already felt like this, Haku must be in far worse shape.

"Is this acceptable?" Itachi asked in the voice Kimimaro was coming to recognize as lazy lust.

"Yes," Kimimaro and Haku said at the same time. 

Itachi nearly smiled. "A game of direction, then," he said softly but firmly. "I ask or tell, you do and obey, and we safeguard one another."

"Yes," Haku replied and Kimi nodded.

"I stop at the sound of that very word. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," Kimimaro answered, happily slipping into his role, and Haku made a sound of comprehension.

"Such amazing boys," Itachi said on a sigh before his voice went crisper with intent. "Haku, do you believe you could get off twice tonight if asked?"

"Yes," Haku answered, licking his lips. "More than that if there's time and pain to entice me."

"Pain, hm?" Itachi asked, eyebrows rising.

"He likes it more than even I do, Master," Kimimaro explained.

"I see," Itachi said, and Kimimaro saw longing burn in Itachi's dark eyes. It pulled a whimper from Kimi's throat, and Haku answered it with one of his own.

"For now I want to slide my hands up your legs, Haku, push aside this silk and see what's beneath it. I want Kimimaro to hold you -- trap you to my touch while he kisses you, marks your neck, perhaps, plays with your nipples -- and I want to watch you come for me all over this lovely skirt." Itachi lips spread into a hunter's smile, teeth flashing, and Kimimaro breathed in sync to Haku's faster pace.

"May I?" Itachi asked.

"Yes…oh  _ please _ yes…" Haku said, hips rising in encouragement.

"Put his arms behind his back and hold him, Kimimaro," Itachi commanded without taking his eyes off Haku. 

"Yes, Master," Kimi whispered, and Haku leaned forward fast to help Kimi. Slender arms went behind Haku's back, hands grasping opposite elbows, and Kimimaro pulled Haku flush with his body. 

"Good," Itachi said with a nod, and tilted his head. "Do you like that, lovely boy?"

"Yes," Haku said quietly, and Kimimaro felt him trembling, saw his hips moving and his eyelids flutter. Haku's cheeks and throat flushed pink, and Kimimaro bit the metal in his lip.

Mouth quirking in a pleased sort of way, Itachi grasped both of Haku's ankles. With a rustle of silk and a sinuous forward slide, Itachi's hands moved up Haku's calves and paused at his knees. The skirt pooled in Haku's lap as Itachi bent both Haku's legs, and the smaller man let Itachi move and manipulate as he liked. Large hands slid over the backs of thighs, and Haku's lips parted. He breathed silently but quickly, and Kimimaro's fingertips brushed over Haku's sleeves.

"May I please have a kiss, lovely boy?" Itachi asked, level and low. 

Haku's body jerked in a shudder and stretched to get closer to Itachi. "Yes," he managed, and Kimimaro could tell the single syllable was an effort. 

Itachi touched Haku's cheek, tilted to make their mouths meet in a slow caress of lips. Kimimaro groaned, body responding like he was the recipient of this bit of affection instead of Haku, and he whimpered when the kiss ended all too soon.

Haku's questioning, pleading sound was answered by a comforting noise and a palm cupping his jaw. "Tonight and always and any time you wish, you may kiss me, Haku." Itachi's gaze flicked upward. "As may you, Kimimaro."

"Thank you," Haku said, voice threadbare and wavering. Itachi petted his cheek, squeezed his leg, and Haku rested harder against Kimimaro.

"Yes, Master," Kimi answered, and he didn't know what was more intense: the gratitude or the desire.

"Good," Itachi said, eyes canting downward to watch as he scrunched Haku's skirt higher, and he murmured a low sound of approval when he saw the thick, black underwear that struggled to bind and to contain Haku's erection. The fabric was spotted with dampness, and when Itachi's arms rested on Haku's thighs and his hands settled at Haku's hips, Haku shivered and swallowed a syllable of need. 

"Such perfection…" Itachi muttered, pads of his fingers moving to brush Haku's stomach. Kimimaro saw the muscles jump and twitch and felt his own cock respond in sympathy to the sight.

"Hard enough to ache, lovely boy?" Itachi asked, eyebrows lifting as the unwavering gaze soaked up the sight of Haku.

"Yes," Haku replied, a breathy affirmation.

"Kimimaro, reach beneath the lovely boy's shirt and play with both his nipples as he likes." Itachi's gaze snapped up as Kimi sucked in air, and Haku's body arched in anticipation. 

"With pleasure, Master," Kimimaro said on autopilot. He got his hands under the hem of Haku's shirt, and the smaller man pressed his head into Kimi's shoulder as Kimi's thumbs brushed and teased Haku. 

"O-ooh…" Haku's lower half rose, thrusting into empty air, seeking friction. His skin was damp with sweat, his body tightened beneath the unrelenting pinches and flicks of Kimi's fingers, and finally Itachi's hand moved to cover Haku through the silk.

"Yes," Haku hissed, eyes shut and mouth falling open. "Oh please…" He cut himself off, and Kimimaro hummed in worried encouragement.

"Please what, lovely boy?" Itachi asked, shifting closer until his arm slipped beneath Haku's lower back. Itachi's wrist skimmed over Kimimaro's erection, and he groaned, lips kissing Haku's hair for distraction. Kimimaro could smell Itachi -- that intoxicating herbal scent stronger -- and Kimi wanted to melt under the focus and concern in Itachi's eyes. His expression was calm, but his eyes composed letters of care, curiosity, and greed.

"I want… I…" Haku's head rolled, and he gasped as Kimi continued to follow Itachi's command.

"Master," Kimimaro said reverently. "It's a difficult thing for Haku to speak of what he wants."

"I see," Itachi said. "Kimimaro, still your hands for a moment."

"Of course," Kimimaro answered as he stopped moving entirely.

"Haku, lovely boy, look at me."

In slow motion, Haku obeyed. 

"Good," Itachi murmured. "Do you want me to do as I said?"

"Yes," Haku answered.

"And you know I will." Not a question, a reminder.

"I believe you."

"And you want this to continue."

"Y-yes… oh, please…" Haku's words were clearer. 

"Please undress you?" Itachi asked.

"Yes… oh God, yes…"

Itachi peeled back the underwear and grunted at the sight of Haku's hard, dark red, cock. It was wet about the tip and trails of clear fluid linked to the fabric.

"Please touch you?" 

" _ Mmph _ ," Haku panted. "Yes."

"Like this?" Itachi skimmed his fingers over Haku's length. The room shimmered and spun, and Kimimaro shuddered with Haku.

"More?" Haku requested: pleading, high, and pure. "Please, Itachi… more?"

"Good, Haku. Your words are sweet to me. Kimi, resume your touches to his nipples and kiss his throat -- lips only. Lightly."

"Thank you, Master," Kimimaro rumbled before bending to act on Itachi's words. His fingers tortured Haku's skin, which he knew Haku loved, and he placed gentle kisses along the tendon of Haku's neck. The man in Kimi's arms bucked, let go of a strangled cry, and Kimimaro felt him unwind into Kimimaro's hold; felt him let go of himself in favor of trust and pleasure.

"Yes, oh… yes…" Haku gasped.

"Beautiful. Both of you. God." Itachi shivered, pulling notes of need from both Kimi and Haku. Itachi's hand wrapped around Haku and stroked, and it was not gentle, slow, or considerate. Itachi swirled his palm, gathering slickness, and stroked fast, sudden, and with purpose.

Haku's shout rang off the walls. Itachi's arm and elbow held him down, and so did Kimimaro's bracing arms.

"Bite his neck, Kimi -- suck and mark him."

Kimimaro couldn't muster the ability to reply, so he merely obeyed. Vertigo dipped him low but he hung on to Haku, and his blood boiled when Haku cried out his name --  _ "Shit, Kimi…oh God…" _ \-- and thrashed beneath the combined attentions of the two men.

"I want to see you come, Haku. Eyes open and on me."

"Mas…Master,  _ oh _ …" Haku whimpered. Kimimaro's heart expanded and ached when he heard the hesitant words spill from Haku's lips. His eyes rolled to Master's face as Kimi bit, suckled, and bruised Haku the way he knew Haku liked: fierce, harsh, and deep. Itachi's hand was relentless, Kimimaro's teeth worried at skin and lapped at the salty taste, and Kimi knew when Haku met Itachi's gaze because he went utterly still, a cry broke in two, and he pant-gasped and arched as he came.

Itachi's arm brought Haku up and higher, his eyes half-closed as he breathed through his mouth and stroked Haku to the point of painful. Haku gasped with each pulse, shook and jerked and spilled all over the skirt, his stomach, the shirt, and Itachi's fist. Haku's hands clutched at Kimi once and then released, body going slack as Itachi's touch slowed and stopped.

"Perfection," Itachi husked as he bent forward and kissed the corner of Haku's open mouth. Haku whined and his lips locked onto Itachi's in a hungry display of affection. Tongues tangled with wet sounds for a long moment before Itachi broke away and leaned toward Kimimaro.

"Kimi," Itachi breathed and immediately Kimimaro felt lips on his own. Kimi's kiss was languid and left him breathless.

"Release him, sweet boy," Itachi commanded. Kimi kissed Haku's throat with light presses of his mouth, and Haku shook all over. His head fell forward as Itachi leaned back, his chest heaved, and his hair smelled like sweat, sex, and peaches.

Itachi lifted his hand to his mouth and licked Haku's come.

" _ Nn _ …" Kimimaro grunted and leaned his head against Haku's.

"You like his taste, sweet boy?" Itachi asked.

"Yes, Master. I love it."

Kimimaro's heart skipped a beat at the smile Itachi gave him. 

"Carefully let Haku go, lay him down on the couch, and help me clean him up and undress him."

"As you command, Master," Kimimaro said. He slipped out from behind Haku, who went pliant and mobile as Kimi lay Haku down on the couch. Haku's eyes were half-closed, his hair spilling around him in a dark stain: a ravished angel.

Kneeling, Kimimaro moaned as he saw Itachi swipe his tongue over Haku's stomach. Haku gasped and his hands formed fists. Kimimaro clasped one of Haku's wrists and he bent his head to suckle at Haku's skin, tasting sweat, soap, and semen. In seconds, Haku writhed beneath the slick heat of two tongues, heel digging into the couch cushions and knees falling wide. 

"Clothing," Itachi said, voice throaty and low as he pulled away from Haku's glistening skin. In unison, Kimimaro and Itachi reached for shirt and skirt respectively, undressing the prone man. Itachi tossed the skirt over the back of the couch, removed Haku's underwear and laid it aside, and watched as Kimimaro put the shirt with the skirt. Itachi caressed Haku, and he kissed Haku's inner thigh, making the sated man sigh.

"Rest," Itachi said to Haku. He stood and braced one hand on the arm of the couch so he could lean down to Haku's face. Itachi smiled, and Haku blinked up at him, expression peaceful. Itachi brushed his lips over Haku's in a soft kiss, and Haku moaned, one hand reaching up to touch Itachi's cheek. The Uchiha turned into the touch and kissed Haku's palm.

"Come closer, Kimi," Itachi said, and Kimimaro's shoulders rocked at the familiar nickname spoken in the fires-in-winter voice. He crept to Itachi on his knees, and he gasped when Itachi knelt down, wrapped one hand around the back of Kimimaro's neck, and pulled Kimi into a searing kiss. Kimimaro groaned, one hand grabbing a couch cushion for support as he surrendered to the insistent, invading tongue. Kimimaro felt gentle fingers close over his wrist and knew Haku held him; watched them.

Without a word, Itachi pulled back and caught Kimi's chin with one hand. He squeezed, eyes on Kimimaro's, and Kimi got the point immediately.

"Yes, Master," Kimimaro said, gaze locking on Itachi's, though it was all Kimi could do to make the contact. It got harder when Itachi grabbed the hem of Kimimaro's shirt and pulled it up and off. There was no finesse to the movement; just need. Kimimaro caught sight of Itachi again, and his breath stuttered a gasp when Itachi moved closer. With their lips almost touching and air mingling, Itachi undid Kimi's belt and the fly of his jeans. Kimimaro's chest heaved, and Haku's hand tightened around Kimi's wrist.

"Stand up," Itachi ordered, and Kimimaro's head tilted in the desire to close the space between their mouths. Instead he swallowed and stood, feeling Haku's fingers fall away and Itachi's hands working his pants and boxers down to his ankles. Kimimaro grunted when his cock met air and balanced to get one foot and then the other free of the clothing. 

Itachi threw the jeans aside and turned his head. His mouth was next to Kimimaro's length, and hot air blew over Kimi's skin.

"Fuck," Kimimaro said, biting his lip when he realized he spoke. "Sorry… forgive me, Master."

"Curse, yell, scream, moan, and make all the sound you like," Itachi said, and Kimimaro's knees went watery as Itachi's lips lightly brushed Kimi's length and his fingers trailed up the back of Kimimaro's leg as he issued the command. 

"Goes for both of you. I… enjoy… noise…" The words were elongated sighs, and Kimimaro had to widen his stance to maintain balance.

Itachi stood up in a fluid motion. His hand cupped the back of Kimimaro's neck, forced Kimi to bend, forehead to shoulder in a brief embrace, and he looked down at Haku. 

"Haku, move to give Kimimaro room to sit on the couch."

"I delight in obeying you, Master," Haku said, pulling in his knees to sit up. Itachi's hands stayed on Kimi's body as Kimimaro sank down onto the couch, eyes up on his Master's.

"Good," Itachi praised, fingers dragging under Kimimaro's chin and glancing over his cheek. "Look where you like, sweet boy." The words were a whisper, an afterthought gift.

"Thank you, Master," Kimimaro replied. 

"Haku, with my help you're going to climb down onto your knees between Kimimaro's legs." Itachi held out his hands to Haku, who eagerly took them. Kimimaro couldn't stop the tones of need coloring his breathing, and the muscles in his thighs quaked until he grabbed them to make it stop.

With Itachi's guidance, Haku knelt on the floor. He covered Kimi's hands with his, and he licked his lips at the sight of Kimi's cock. Obsidian eyes glanced up and met Kimi's, and the raging hunger there made Kimimaro groan.

"Lean down and taste him, Haku," Itachi commanded, offhandedly as he circled around behind the couch. "Just a lick -- catch that drop there on your tongue." 

"Done eagerly and gratefully, Master," Haku murmured before beginning to tease Kimi, and Haku's eyes stayed on Kimimaro's as the wet heat of his tongue touched, lapped, and withdrew. Kimimaro shuddered and felt cool hands on his shoulders. 

"Arms behind your back, sweet boy," Itachi husked, long hair sweeping forward onto the couch as he bent to kiss Kimimaro's neck and run his hands over Kimi's torso. Thankfully, Kimi's body moved to obey the command when his mind couldn't form coherent thoughts with Haku between his legs and Itachi's mouth and touch on him. It felt like a dream -- a wet, heavy, humid dream wherein there were too many hands and mouths and it was delicious torture.

Moving up to Kimimaro's ear, Itachi spoke, low and firm: "You're not to come, sweet boy. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," Kimi replied, swallowing as he hoped he could obey and resolution hardening his spine and focusing his brain from white noise to a dull roar.

Itachi licked the shell of Kimimaro's ear, and Haku's hands lightly stroked the backs of his arms. "Excellent," Itachi purred. "Haku."

"Master?"

"You know this body, yes?" Itachi's thumbs brushed Kimimaro's pierced nipples, made him go taut with the tease.

"I do, Master."

"Then I will use that." Itachi spoke, his thumbs caught the metal in Kimi's skin, and Kimimaro's eyes closed in a slow blink.

"At your service," Haku replied, and Kimi felt the sharp pang of envy that Haku seemed to have all his wits about him. The feeling was fleeting, chased away by Master's fingers pulling at skin and metal until he shuddered.

"Upon my word, you will suck Kimi's cock and try to make him come as fast as possible."

"M-Master, oh, God…" Kimi panted and turned his head, rethinking his strategy on how the hell he was going to fulfill Itachi's order.

"Yes, Master," Haku said, and the boy sounded nearly smug. And eager. And confident. Kimi whimpered.

"He will yell for you to stop so he obeys me," Itachi said, hands smoothing over Kimimaro's chest and arms. "And you will do so."

"With certainty, Master," Haku said, head bowing once before he squeezed Kimi's thighs. A reassurance? A warning? Kimi didn't know.

"Watch the boy between your legs," Itachi whispered in Kimi's ear. Kimimaro assented, breathing through his nose with quiet sounds. He could feel his pulse in his throat, his flesh thrummed in time to Haku's soft breathing against it, and Kimi knew nothing but want and the fear that made him fight to submit.

"Watch him," Itachi challenged, and his hands tightened on Kimimaro's body. It was the split second warning Kimi got before Itachi said, "Begin."

Haku didn't bother with niceties; he bent over Kimimaro's lap, rose up slightly for a better angle, and tight, wet,  _ moving _ heat engulfed Kimi to his base in less than two desperate seconds. Itachi's hands held Kimi still as he bucked hard under the initial onslaught. Haku's throat constricted, Kimimaro felt the slick warmth and pressure of Haku's tongue, and it was manageable with Herculean effort and soft cursing beneath Kimi's breath. 

And then Haku's fingers snaked between Kimi's thighs and began playing with the piercings: sliding, moving, stroking, pressing. He pulled off Kimi's cock and let his lower teeth drag up the ladder, and Kimimaro moaned. His head fell to one side, his heart hammered, a bead of sweat slid down his temple, and Kimi gasped when Itachi's tongue caught it with a kiss. 

Kimimaro gritted his teeth, losing track of what Haku's mouth did and knew only that it felt too fucking good. He fought hard against the weight of the cards stacked against him, but Haku didn't play fair. Saliva ran down Kimi's length, Haku swiped it up, and fingers dug down and dragged over pierced flesh to toy and cover Kimi's asshole. The muscles there clenched and flinched, half voluntary, half not, and Kimi's head lolled to the other side. Haku didn't push fingers within Kimimaro; instead, he teased the skin and made Kimimaro ache for Master. The graphic vision of Kimimaro's cock disappearing into Haku's mouth shimmered like a mirage. Haku's dark eyes were shuttered in bliss, his cheeks hollowed and flushed, pink lips stretching and catching on the ladder and the cross.

"Those noises make me want to fuck you slow, sweet boy," Itachi droned in Kimimaro's ear, and he made a choking sound as Itachi's fingers began to wander again. Kimimaro wasn't aware he said anything at all until he realized his mouth was dry, open, and betraying him. Itachi pinch-pulled at Kimi's nipples and the metal therein, and Kimimaro cried out when the motion was coupled with Haku forcefully taking Kimimaro into his throat.

"Tie you down, redden your back, ass, and thighs, and fuck you in between until you beg me to--"

_ Too much, oh god, too much… _

"Haku, stop!" Kimimaro cried and keened in frustration when Haku's warmth vanished from his skin. Kimimaro snarled as Itachi's hands stilled on Kimi's chest, and then froze, trying to figure out if such a reaction pleased Master. Kimimaro blinked and saw Haku gasping, his fists pressing into the couch, hair disheveled. 

"Mas-?" 

"Exactly as I wanted," Itachi murmured next to Kimi's ear. The praise eased Kimimaro, and he licked his lips and receded from the edge. He moaned at the ache between his legs, and Haku shifted backward and lightly rested his head on Kimimaro's knee. It was a comforting weight, and Itachi's lips kissed Kimi's temple and hair. 

"Stay here." 

"Yes, Master," both Kimimaro and Haku said almost in unison, erratic breathing beginning to sync and slow. 

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	14. Chapter 14

Itachi squeezed Kimimaro's shoulders as he withdrew from the couch and headed for the bed. Kimimaro and Haku watched as Itachi yanked back the coverlet and threw it on the floor, leaving behind only the sheets. Itachi rearranged the mound of pillows against the headboard and then returned to Kimimaro and Haku.

"Let me help you stand," Itachi said to Haku, assisting the smaller man to his feet. Kimimaro saw that Haku appeared stable and sighed in relief and envy. 

"Now you," Itachi said, hands out to Kimimaro. His fingers shook as he clasped Itachi, and slowly Kimimaro stood, groaning softly at his lessening but continual state of arousal. At a signal from Itachi, Haku wrapped an arm around Kimi's waist, and Kimimaro leaned against the smaller man.

"This way," Itachi said softly, and got on Kimi's other side as the three approached the four-poster. Kimimaro couldn't put a chain of thought together even to begin to anticipate Itachi's next move, and he jerked to a halt when Itachi paused, halfway to the bed.

"Master?" Kimimaro asked. 

"There's a trunk over there," Itachi said, nodding with a thoughtful expression. "All sorts of things… if you like, each of you may go and pick one item to use tonight."

Kimimaro felt warmth swirl and settle at the inherent choices in Itachi's words. Haku squeezed his arm about Kimi, loosened his hold, and when Kimi didn't falter, he immediately left Kimimaro's side and headed to the trunk. Itachi smiled after him, delight and amusement clear. The expression made Kimimaro close his eyes and drop his head, and Itachi spoke in Kimi's ear.

"Walk with you there, you two help each other back if you need it." Itachi's arm held him tightly; possessively.

"Yes, Master," Kimimaro said on a sigh. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, sweet boy," Itachi answered. When they reached the trunk, Kimimaro knelt next to Haku and thought they looked like children beneath a tree at Christmas. He barely noticed Itachi walking away, fixated instead on the collection in the trunk. Multiple levels of shelves opened up and out, exposing cuffs, chain, things that left marks, that sank into flesh, that silenced, that soothed, and all of them made Kimimaro stifle a moan. He gripped the edges of the trunk and pulled himself together. It took a while.

"Just one?" Haku said quietly after a moment, and he moved closer to Kimimaro.

"There will be other nights for other things," Kimi reassured him.

Haku grabbed Kimi's hand. He didn’t say a word, but met Kimi's gaze with calculating eyes that made Kimi feel soul sought and searched. Haku relaxed after a second or two and nodded. He glanced over his shoulder before leaning down to whisper next to Kimi's chest, "He meant  _ any _ one thing?"

The earnest tone made Kimimaro want to laugh but he stopped himself. Some of the giddiness from their arrival returned to meld with the lust. "He has yet to say anything he does not mean."

Haku whimpered, and he looked over the options, eyebrows knitting. 

"Haku?" 

"Don't want to keep him waiting with indecision," Haku murmured.

"Haku, I don't think that's--"

"Take the time you need," Itachi said, and both Kimi and Haku whipped around to look. Itachi stood with his arms crossed leaning against one of the four bedposts, body relaxed and expression calm.

"Yes, Master," Kimimaro intoned.

"My thanks, Master," Haku replied.

Turning back to the trunk, Kimimaro rummaged.

"Did he hear me?" Haku said so quietly Kimi barely made out the words.

"I don't know?"

Haku tossed his head, frowning before digging around on the bottom level of the trunk. "Oh," he said, louder, and Kimi saw him finger a bundle of rattan canes. Kimimaro let go of a sighing hum, but he replayed Master's words in his mind. Itachi didn't say what would get used on whom, and he looked at Haku.

"Is that okay?" Haku asked, apparently with the same idea on his mind.

"Yes," Kimimaro said, breathless as he thought of Itachi using the implement to taunt and to strike and--.

Kimimaro cleared his throat. "But I should…"

"Choose something," Haku finished, nuzzling at Kimimaro's arm.

Kimimaro picked up a black butt plug of medium size that was nestled in a plastic mold. "Simpler? So we have-- "

"One hard and one easy," Haku murmured, eying the plug critically.

"Right. For both or either or us."

"Good," Haku approved, and slid one of the canes from the bundle. His hand flexed around it, feeling its narrow width and smoothness, and he shivered. "It'll be…"

"I can only imagine," Kimimaro said, the words breathy.

Haku's smile reminded Kimimaro of gargoyles and night flyers. "For now," he said and uttered a single-syllable of want before standing on mostly-stable legs. Kimimaro rose with him, and they put arms about one another as they approached Itachi. He pushed off the bed post, and his head tilted to the side as he glanced at their choices.

In unison, both Haku and Kimimaro went down on their knees. Haku offered up the cane with both hands, much like a servant holding up a sword to a king. Kimimaro cupped his hands around his chosen toy and held it out. Itachi accepted both with a low chuckle, and he stroked his fingers over Haku's hair and then down the side of Kimimaro's cheek.

"Haku, lay along the edge of the bed, on your stomach. Kimimaro? Lay on Haku's far side, facedown, head level with and looking at Haku."

Murmuring assent, Kimi and Haku climbed onto the bed and assumed their ascribed positions. Haku yanked his hair into a fist and then tossed it over his shoulder. Kimi moved closer, arm bending so his hand lay next to Haku's on the bed, little fingers brushing. Haku appeared calm, but when he bit his lip and stared at Kimimaro, the eagerness and yearning showed.

Itachi went to a nightstand and opened a drawer, and to Haku, Kimimaro mouthed,  _ Okay?  _

Haku nodded, slowly, and his pinky slipped over Kimi's, squeezing. 

Returning to the bed, Itachi put aside lube, plug, and cane and his hands swept through Haku's hair to the delighted murmur of the small man. "Oh," he said, in a tone that Kimimaro had a hard time identifying. Itachi leaned and clasped Kimimaro and Haku's joined hands, molding them together. His other hand massaged Haku's nape, and Haku tilted to give Itachi better access.

"A cane," Itachi muttered, and Kimimaro smiled at Itachi as he seemed to speak to himself. Haku gave Kimi a brief, confused look, and Kimi shook his head slightly against the bed, trying to tell Haku that no, Itachi wasn't upset about the choice.

Itachi bent to speak closely to Haku's ear. "Which is lovely and which I can and will use…so long as you know that tonight it's for pleasure and not punishment."

Haku and Kimimaro's eyes met, and Haku didn't answer. Kimimaro stroked the back of Haku's hand with his thumb as the smaller man's eyes went wider.

"No infraction, nothing I'd change," Itachi continued.

"I understand, Master," Haku said quietly, gaze slipping away from Kimimaro's as he sighed. 

With a lingering lick to his lips, Itachi raked a hand through Haku's hair. "Then in choosing, you consent?" Itachi made it a question, and Kimimaro relaxed as Haku's body melted beneath the touch. Haku's lashes fluttered, and a small smile turned the corners of his mouth.

"Yes, Master. Most assuredly," Haku said.

"Kimimaro?"

With a shiver, Kimi stared at Haku, who squeezed his hand. It wasn't fear or anxiety or anything of the ilk: the looks they exchanged burned the air between them; made every nerve in Kimimaro's body start to sing.

"Yes, Master." Kimimaro's cock twitched at the thought of watching Master cane Haku. And it twitched harder as he wondered if he'd get a taste of Master's skill as well.

Itachi gently kissed Haku's cheek, one hand still tenderly brushing the hair back from his face. "Do you want my hands on you? Warming up your skin?"

"Yes, Master." The words were decisive; firm, and Kimimaro didn't understand how pride of any sort could ever be a sin.

"Thank you, my lovely boy," Itachi praised, hands gliding over Haku's bare back and lightly cupping his ass. "You want me to make lines march over this perfect skin?" He spoke against Haku's temple, and he looked Kimimaro in the eye. Kimi whimpered.

"Yes… please… Master…" The words slipped quickly through faster exhales as Itachi's fingertips stroked the lines and curves of Haku's body. 

"And Kimimaro will watch. Say if it ever becomes too much."

"It won't, Master," Haku said, eyes steadily staring at nothing. Itachi chuckled, a delighted purr in his chest.

"I will watch, Master," Kimimaro said, wanting to obey and wanting Haku to get his fill.

"Then I will do as I like," Itachi said calmly, and both hands spanned and rubbed over Haku's narrow shoulders. 

"Please…" Haku whispered, eyes finally falling shut.

"I like your version of impatience, lovely boy," Itachi rumbled between the kisses placed to the skin left in the wake of roaming palms: shoulders, neck, over the spine, middle of the lean expanse of Haku's flank, down to the small of his back. Haku remained still, breathing deeply, until Itachi's lips brushed the dip before the swell of his ass, and he made a tiny sound. Kimimaro squeezed his hand, moving minutely closer on the bed. 

"Kiss him, Kimi," Itachi said, feathering kisses while he dug deeper in massage. "Feed his enthusiasm."

Moving together, Kimimaro leaned toward Haku, who tilted his face and sighed through his nose when their lips met. The kiss was like the ones they shared in the car: tender, slow, eyes opening to watch the other one get lost in the wet slick of mouths and tongue. Kimimaro tasted Haku's bottom lip, suckled at it, and shifted so their noses touched. He squeezed Haku's hand when Itachi forsook the caresses to Haku's skin to lay a palm over Haku's backside, broadcasting.

"As you please, Master," Haku husked, and Kimimaro glanced to catch the Uchiha smirk grace Master's lips before he laid down a fast series of spanks over Haku's ass and thighs. Haku didn't move, didn't even tense as far as Kimimaro could tell, and he hummed when Itachi's hands went back to massage interspersed with quick hits. Ass, thighs, and back again until Haku minutely jerked and sighed with the impacts.

"Delightful," Master praised, and Haku blinked at Kimimaro as Master picked up the cane. Kimimaro bit his lip on a groan, and Haku pressed his hand. Lying on Master's bed this close to Haku, lips meeting, want and need allowed and encouraged, praise and command in Kimimaro's ears feeding his soul and anticipation making his heart pound, Kimi found a piece of himself he thought he'd lost. The world outside the feel of the softness beneath his body, Haku's fingers laced with his, and pulse making his cock twitch didn't exist.

"Just this," Kimi whispered. "Only this…"

Haku's teeth caught Kimimaro's lower lip, tongue flicking at a stud. Dark eyes regarded Kimimaro with hazy calm, and Kimimaro kissed Haku again when the end of the cane slid from Haku's nape to tailbone in a warning tease. Haku didn't so much as flinch when the first faint rap touched his back -- not an impact, more a percussion tap designed to gauge and be a building block for other things. The testing taps continued at random, and Kimimaro watched Itachi manipulate the cane. His gaze was so intense, it threatened to burn patterns onto Haku's flesh, and Kimi's mouth opened in a gasp only to be filled with Haku's tongue. Kimi sucked at the tip, and Haku groaned when the cane's end found his ass. The raps were slightly harder, now, and Haku explosively exhaled, body melting in presentiment bliss.

"Lovely, Haku… truly." Itachi said, preoccupied.

"I await your pleasure, Master," Haku slurred. His eyes narrowed to slits, long lashes damp, and Kimi whimpered for him when the first strike landed: harder than the taps, but nothing approaching full force. Of course Master took care -- even with something like a cane and even with a man who wanted pain -- and that made Kimimaro close his eyes, lips finding Haku's. The kiss was still lazy, Haku more relaxed than Kimi could remember seeing him, and Kimi thought he might lose his mind in heart, brain, and body overload.

With the same force two more blows swished and landed, and hushed hot air blew against Kimimaro's mouth. "Thank you, Master," Haku murmured, and his eyebrows went up as Itachi stroked the cane's end over the sensitive spot at the small of Haku's back. Haku jerked, shivering, and the covers rustled as Haku reached up to grip the corner of a pillow. Kimimaro marveled when Haku still didn't flinch as the three more blows rained over Haku's ass. The rhythm was easy to follow and predict, and a whine that bordered on irritated escaped Haku's lips -- not in pain but in request for it.

"Oh, you are a delight, lovely boy," Itachi said, clearly, and Haku's mouth opened to reply but his words choked as the next strikes whipped and whacked. So close to Haku, Kimi couldn't see where each landed, but he saw Itachi's stance shift to know they fell at random over ass and the backs of Haku's thighs. Four strikes, a pause, and three more, the pace of the last set faster than the first.

" _ Yes _ ," Haku gasped. Both his hands tightened their grips: on the pillow above his head and on Kimi's hand. 

"Good," Itachi rumbled, and the next strike landed harder and beneath both Haku's ass cheeks. A cry ripped from Haku's throat and lungs, and he and Kimimaro breathed harder in the torturous interim before Itachi slowly pulled the cane up and swung it down lower on Haku's thighs. The hit made Haku twist and tense before he blew out air in a rasp and settled again. 

" _ Mmph _ ," Kimimaro whimper-sighed, and the length of time between the harder blows made sweat break over Kimimaro's skin. Kimi tensed in anticipation, Haku tightened with him, and Itachi silently reared back and let the cane fall. The second strike made Haku jerk, but the third and fourth made him moan. His hips moved on the bed, seeking friction, and Master stepped closer to run his hand over Haku's lined cheek.

"I… love… the way you want and move for more." Itachi swallowed and adjusted himself through his slacks, and Kimimaro groaned at the obvious sign of delight and desire. Master stroked Haku's skin while he slowed his breathing, and Haku's body rolled up into the touch, forehead colliding with Kimimaro's. Distracted, Kimi scanned Haku's face, longing for the kind of bliss that reworked Haku's features, but then Kimi jumped when Haku's eyes flew open and he called out, breathless.

"Mmm," Itachi hummed, knowing and bemused, and Kimimaro turned to see Itachi's finger pressed into the split of Haku's ass. 

"God," Kimimaro said, garbled, and then Haku's mouth covered his in a heated kiss. Harsh breath escaped Haku's nose and dry lips, and Kimimaro's tongue dove and tangled with the other man's. From the corner of his eye, Kimi saw Itachi withdraw, registered the sadistic intent in Itachi's glittering gaze, and Kimimaro quickly reached to swap the hand Haku gripped. Kimimaro braced an arm over Haku's back just as Master said, "Excellent," and the cane struck sweet.

" _ Ggn _ -oh --  _ oh _ !" Haku's body bowed beneath Kimimaro's hold and then relaxed under it as lighter blows rained over his legs. These were quick, varied, and the ones that hit smartly made Haku whine. 

When Itachi moved back up to Haku's ass, Haku called out unintelligible cries with abandon, and Kimimaro had to close his eyes and force himself to stop rutting against the bed; he didn't want to come. Not yet. Oh god of all…  _ not yet…  _

"Move closer, Kimimaro," Itachi commanded like cooling springs around red-hot metal. "Let Haku take your lower lip between his teeth."

Startled, Kimimaro obeyed Master's order, kissing Haku until he felt hard edges trap and hold him. Haku's eyes remained closed, brow deeply furrowed, and air steamed between them. Saliva trickled down Kimimaro's chin, and his fingers compulsively flexed as they waited for Master Itatchi to move, do, or direct.

"Beautiful, Haku… Kimimaro… exactly as I want and like."

The next strike made Kimimaro grunt as Haku's teeth bit imperceptively harder on his lip. Haku's breathing stuttered, halted, resumed, and the heavenly torture seemed to continue for an age. Kimimaro groaned with Haku and for him when he couldn't find sound and took the slow, measured, lighter strikes in silence. Haku never bit deeply, but he began to whine, higher and higher, desperate and pleading and needy until finally the blows stopped, the room fell quiet but for the labored breathing of three men, and Haku blinked blearily at Kimimaro. 

"Release him, lovely boy," Itachi commanded. 

Haku let go of Kimimaro's lower lip, shaky sighs spilling and colored with toned cries.

"Haku…" Kimimaro whispered, and Haku moaned before his mouth opened in a ring of shock. The cane tapped with medium force, over the bottom portion of Haku's ass and the reddened lines Kimimaro knew would be there.

"Fuck, fuck…  _ fuck _ ," Haku cried, each curse successively higher and louder. He shook all over when Itachi stopped, low laugh darkened by Master's rich delight rumbling through the room. The sound cut off abruptly with Kimi's sharp intake of breath as the end of the cane trailed down Kimimaro's spine. Haku looked at Kimi, brow furrowing as he focused and panted, skin damp where it touched Kimi's.

"A small taste for you, sweet boy?"

Kimimaro could only whimper, utterly unable to make his voice work, and a broken gasp bubbled from his lips as the cane licked at his skin. The raps were exquisitely light over his ass, kissed over his thighs, and barely there over the backs of his knees. The end of the cane touched and returned upward, retracing its path in a line: legs, buttocks, meat of his shoulder. 

"Yes… oh God, yes… Master?" Kimimaro called out the name, and Itachi hit with a percussion tap on Kimimaro's ass and made him jolt.

" _ Nnn _ \-- K-Kimi…" Haku whispered, and Kimimaro met Haku's midnight eyes as the cane rapped experimentally over Kimi's ass. Breathing out, Kimi pulled his arm off of Haku, resituating on the bed to hold Haku's hand and extend his other arm flat along the sheet.

"So… good…" Haku breathed, and Kimimaro grunted when the impact gradually and with terrible slowness began to build. The whip-rap sound echoed in Kimimaro's ears, and his cock filled impossibly harder, twitched, and ached, trapped between body and bed.

Eyes on one another, Kimimaro bit his lip as he felt the slow burn build to a fever, the cane's rap creating an insignificant sting spreading from the lines of strike. Up and down Itachi roamed, the beat steady, the strikes getting harder, but slowly enough to drive Kimimaro to whining. Time slipped and soon Kimimaro lost focus as the fire of his skin overrode sense. He moaned, felt kisses to the corner of his open mouth, and he couldn't move or think to respond. The sheet whispered as Haku drew closer, kissing and tasting without disturbing Master's rhythm, and after an eon of waiting, the first real hit landed over Kimimaro's flushed skin; made him buck and yelp and think the cane sliced when he knew it didn't.

"Oh," Haku panted. "Ooh, yes… Master…"

"How many more Haku?" Master asked, and Kimimaro closed his eyes, trusting and willing to take any number that Haku spoke.

But when no answer came, Kimimaro blinked at Haku, confused, and saw him smiling. Kimi didn't understand until he heard Master laugh.

"Wicked, lovely, boy…" Itachi praised, a carnal, pleased grin splitting his face as he rewarded Haku with a kiss to the temple.

Kimimaro had a second to see Haku's arm return above him, realize Haku had answered Master with his hand -- held up fingers where Kimimaro couldn't see -- and gaped at Haku before whimpering as the cane struck home.

Not bothering to count, Kimimaro clutched at sheet and Haku's slippery hand. Pain, burn, sting, the sound of splitting air: that's all there was and all there needed to be. When two successive strikes hit hard-harder and made Kimimaro's dick throb in a scream of want, Kimimaro let go of a high whine that ended in a grunt of impact. 

"And done," Master said with an explosive sigh before stepping away.

"Kimi… Kimi…" Haku chanted, kissing and slipping his hand over Kimimaro's back. 

Eyes closing on three types of ache, Kimimaro whimpered when another hand joined Haku's, this one skimming and stroking. Kimi glanced at Master to find him smiling at Kimimaro and Haku, bent over to pet and soothe both of the prone men.

"You did so well," Master hummed, bending further to kiss first Haku and then Kimi's shoulders. "Stay there for a moment."

"Yes, Master," Haku breathed.

Kimimaro licked his lips and registered Itachi moving away, stepping out of his shoes, and then undoing his shirt and tossing it aside. He walked around the foot of the bed and Kimimaro felt the mattress shift as Master Itachi crawled up to turn and lean against the pile of pillows at the headboard.

"As you can, as slowly as you need, come to me, here, boys," Master said softly, and in sync Kimimaro and Haku got their arms underneath their bodies and fumble-crawled toward Itachi.

"Rest," Itachi murmured, arms out to beckon and steady each man in turn. 

"Thank you, Master," Kimimaro said, lying down with his head on Itachi's thigh and giving Haku room as the other man followed suit. 

"How lucky I am…" Master said, sounding dazed. Both Kimimaro and Haku reached to touch and hold onto Itachi: Kimi on his thigh and Haku about his waist. Haku made a contented, happy noise, and Kimimaro smiled, blinking and staring at nothing.

The burn from the cane gradually faded into the background, though the pain pleasantly spiked with movement and made Kimi want more of anything and everything. Itachi stroked their hair, rubbed light fingers into the muscles along their necks, and they rested long enough for breathing to even out and for aches to recede. It was beyond pleasant to float and think of nothing but Master, who finally shifted with a sigh. A recollected vision of Master's cock -- hard, straight, and true -- made Kimimaro's chest and throat tighten, and he hoped and remembered and  _ thirsted. _

Blunt nails scraped at Kimimaro's nape. "Sweet boy… how do you feel?"

"Amazing, Master," Kimimaro answered, loving the sensation of Itachi's touch so much it made his breathing hitch.

Itachi hummed. "Then could you do something for me?"

"As you like, so shall I do," Kimimaro said, turning and boldly pressing a light kiss to Itachi's chest. He longed to bury his face in Master's lap, taste and suck until Master came undone and made the sounds that would forever be the stuff of Kimimaro's sweetest dreams, but he won the battle for control. Barely.

Itachi brushed one finger along Kimimaro's jaw line. "Wonderful. Go to the middle of the bed, face away from us, and lie down on your stomach. And spread your legs."

Haku groaned, Kimimaro's words caught in his throat, and he ducked his head in a bow. Rising, he crawled and rested down on the sheet. He tucked loose hair behind his ear, put his cheek flat on the mattress, and, unsure of specifics but entirely willing to please, he spread his legs and pointed his toes in a stretch.

"Mm," Itachi rumbled. "How wide can you go when positioned like that, Kimimaro?"

Heart tripping and cock suddenly very much alive and awake, it took Kimi a second to answer, and he spoke in a rush: "Very, Master."

"Demonstrate."

Closing his eyes and biting his lip on a noise and a shiver, Kimimaro braced his upper body on the bed and began to move. He went slowly, carefully, in tune with what his body could and couldn't do and at what speed it could manage. At his limit, Kimimaro lay with legs spread impossibly wide, and he paused, relaxing into the position. Behind him he heard Haku make soft sounds of admiration but nothing from Master, so he gritted his teeth and shifted his pelvis. His legs moved into a one-hundred-eighty degree split, and he rolled his hips so he could rest in something approaching comfort, insides of his knees taking most of the pressure.

"That is… incredible," Itachi murmured, and Kimimaro shut his eyes on the delight in Master's voice. "Are you good to stay that way for a while?"

"Yes, Master," Kimi answered, thinking that if it made Itachi's breath catch like that, he could stay in the pose indefinitely.

"Haku, be a good boy and fetch that plug and the lube."

"I'd be delighted to, Master," Haku said, bed shifting as Haku did as Master asked. Kimimaro focused on breathing, his hands clutching at the sheet. There was more movement, he heard a wet sound -- a kiss -- and a sigh -- Haku's. 

"Just arranging myself for the best view of the show, Kimi," Itachi explained. 

"What show would Master like to see?" Haku politely inquired. Kimimaro's hands gripped the sheet tighter, and the room spun.

"Happy you asked, lovely boy." 

"But of course."

Itachi and Haku came into Kimimaro's peripheral vision: Haku knelt, plug and lube in his hands, and Itachi crouched behind him. Itachi brushed long hair over Haku's shoulder and kissed his neck, eyes rolling to Kimi.

"I suspect it'd be impossible for our sweet boy to come while he lies like that. Yes?"

"Completely, Master," Haku replied with authority. "Physics and physiology." The room swirled faster, but it made Kimimaro merely delirious, not dizzy. Haku smiled at him, devil in dark eyes.

"Then you're going to amuse me by torturing him with pleasure," Itachi announced. 

"Oh," Haku sighed, eyes closing with a shiver that was as much artifice as it was reality. "Yes, please." 

Kimimaro bit a whine into pieces and turned away from the sight; rested his forehead on the bed. Each subsequent anticipatory breath became tainted with emotion: craving, anxiety, hope.

"Crawl to him," Itachi said. "Use the lube to coat your fingers. Follow my orders."

"Our pleasure is to serve, Master," Haku said, eagerly cruel. Kimimaro felt Haku kneel next to his leg; felt the brush of a hand sweep over his skin to let him know Haku was there. A click, an unpleasant noise of stick and tack, and then the room held its breath as Master rested on one elbow, long legs stretching lazily on the bed.

"Two fingers, Haku: enter and withdraw slowly."

"Master," Kimimaro whispered in a strained hush, and he held his breath when Haku obeyed to the letter and without hesitation. Two slender, slicked fingers pushed inside Kimimaro and pulled out in an irritatingly slow rhythm.

"As such, Master?" Haku murmured.

"Precisely as such." Master paused and then hummed in a considerate fashion. "Three, then, Haku."

Kimimaro panted harshly through his nose when three narrow fingers breached and pressed. The strokes entering and teasing made his mind slip further into the gray haze, and his hands twisted the sheet. 

"Touch him otherwise as you like, lovely boy," Itachi droned.

"Thank you, Master," Haku replied and a warm hand danced over Kimimaro's leg, over his ass, began making invisible patterns on his skin. Kimimaro couldn't find his tongue to speak or brain to channel thought. Already hard and dying for friction, Kimimaro struggled with multiplying needs and sounds spilled from his lips with each slow sink of Haku's fingers.

"He's gorgeous, spread and wanting," Master observed.

"I believe he's beautiful, Master, yes…"

"Do you like his taste?"

Kimimaro groaned and cursed, suddenly frantic, and Haku's hand pressed firmly into his back. Gasping, Kimimaro forced quiet to hear Haku's answer:

"I do, indeed, Master."

"Oh God," Kimimaro slurred, realizing with flashes of hatred and waves of desire that in this pose he could barely do anything but point his toes, curl his hands, roll his head. 

"That's beautiful, sweet boy," Master said, the words sinking like stones to the depths of Kimimaro's mind. "Haku: remove your fingers. Fuck him with your mouth."

The withdrawal made Kimi jerk and the tongue that licked him from balls to tailbone and circled his asshole made Kimimaro hiss. The wet heat flicked and plunged, Haku groaned, and Kimimaro answered him with a muffled sound, face pressing harder into the damp sheet. The thought of Master watching; the thirst for more but knowing it'd be futile; the damnable edge he reached earlier beneath Haku's attentions and now this -- it was the sweetest kind of misery: the type that made Kimimaro want to beg for it never to stop.

Thumbs dug into Kimimaro's flesh, spreading him wider, and damp, slick, teasing sensation stroked over tingling nerves, and Kimimaro struggled not to thrash.

"Taste so good," Haku groaned.

"Delightful," Itachi mused. "Stop." Haku's tongue snapped back, and Kimimaro cried out as breath blasted over wet skin. "The plug, Haku," Itachi directed, voice thicker with what Kimimaro hoped was at least a quarter of the undiluted want that Kimi felt. 

"Coat it, push it in, fuck him long, slow, and without mercy."

Haku withdrew, and Kimimaro's whine filled the air. He lost track of reality for the few seconds of reprieve he had before the blunt, thick tip of the toy brushed against his body. Haku's hand stroked his lower back, and a nail dug along a cane welt as Haku pushed the plug home.

"Fuck," Kimimaro wheezed. " _ Oh _ fuck," he said as the plug moved deep in a languorous, sure slide and then withdrew, just as slowly. Haku breathed hard behind Kimimaro, and he made a low sound of need and cunning as he continued to take the other man with the toy.

"Turn your head, sweet boy," Itachi intoned, shockingly closer. "Look at me."

The words manipulated Kimimaro like a marionette, and when he saw Master lying on his side, eyes intent on Kimi's body, Kimimaro had to fight with sincerity not to drop his gaze or try to hide his eyes.

"You're gorgeous, my sweet boy," Master Itachi praised, head falling to one side and eyes heavy-lidded as he watched. 

Kimimaro shook his head against the bed, mouth not working except to pant in rasps as Haku kept fucking him -- unrelenting, constant, and threatening to drive Kimimaro mad.

"Yes," Itachi murmured, and lips covered Kimimaro's in a tender kiss that made fractured noises pour from Kimimaro's mouth when Master suckled and tasted. Heat and anger and chaos warred in Kimimaro's body, need became a desperate driving bestial beat in his bloodstream, and he met Master's eyes.

"Something to say?" Itachi asked.

"Please," Kimimaro gasped. "Please, Master, oh dear God,  _ please _ …" 

Master's lips quirked up into an expression of demonic delight. "Haku," he said, petting Kimimaro's cheek and without looking away from Kimi. "Remove the plug and replace it with your own cock."

Kimimaro stopped breathing, and the strangled noise Haku made spoke for them both. Haku froze, steaming the air with startled gasps, and Kimimaro wanted to say something comforting; wanted to let Haku know everything was really and truly all right.

But Haku got wits together, scrambling to comply, and Kimimaro cried out as the plug left his body with a wet pop. Seconds, slick sounds, and then Haku's hands slammed down into the mattress on either side of Kimimaro's body, and he hesitated, hair tickling Kimimaro's back. 

"Go on, Haku. Don't make him wait."

"M-Master…oh…" Haku's voice was high and thin.

Itachi propped himself up on an elbow. "Lovely boy, is this the first time you've taken him?" he asked, eyes glancing askance at Haku. 

"Y-yes…Master," Haku answered, helplessness weighing his words

Itachi's brow furrowed, and Kimimaro saw the realization dawn over Itachi's face: wonder and lust. "Lovely boy… is this the first time you've taken  _ any _ one?"

Kimimaro tipped his chin, saw Haku nod with hair hanging to obscure face and features.

"And you've wanted it?" Itachi asked.

"Yes," Haku husked.

Itachi hummed, throat working in a swallow. "Then take him as you've dreamt of doing, lovely boy." Itachi's voice turned from merciful to malevolent. "And do hurry to enjoy it before I change my mind."

Kimimaro couldn't find air, his mind a roaring dervish, and he wrenched the covers when he felt Haku's tip brush against him. And then every single thought evaporated as Haku braced, grunted, and pushed into Kimimaro's body with a quick roll of hips.

_ "Ha-!" _ The partial name became a single syllable of surprise when Haku ground against Kimimaro's ass, pulled out, and thrust in again. Kimimaro couldn’t move to meet him; had to take Haku's long, slender cock with shock and a silent cry. Master swam out of focus, but Kimimaro stubbornly kept his eyes open, refusing to let them close as Haku set a pace that jarred Kimimaro's insides. The near-brutality of it stunned Kimimaro more than Haku fucking him, and Kimimaro's upper body came off the bed in an arch when Haku shifted angles, and his cockhead dragged over Kimi's prostate.

"There?" Haku gasped, nails leaving crescents on Kimimaro's ass.

"Fuck,  _ yes _ , there," Kimimaro called. The question of why in God's name they'd not done this before flittered through Kimimaro's mind, obliterated by Haku's next thrust and auricular delight.

"Kimi…" Haku nearly mewled the name, and Kimimaro coughed a two-toned cry of pleasure. 

On and on: thrusting, moaning, sounds of flesh and smells of sex with no relief in sight, and finally a single word inspired cessation: "Stop."

Kimimaro slung a slew of curses at the walls when Haku stilled, seated deeply with him. Kimi  _ burned _ , and didn't think he could take anymore. He would die if it stopped, die if it continued, and he had no concept of how long he lay there, contracting around Haku and grunting like an animal gone to mate. Haku's arms began to tremble, and he shook and gasped when he had to lock his elbows to stay in place. Kimimaro surfaced from the deep ocean recesses of his mind and made a surprised sound when a hand brushed back hair from his face, a chocolate-umber gaze meeting his.

"Too much, too delicious…" Master muttered against Kimimaro's parted lips. "Greedy."

Kimimaro couldn't find any sense of gravity, time, logic, or servitude. He kissed the offered mouth, hungry and hopeful and with a muffled cry. Haku cut off a shout, and his arm gave out, weight landing hard on Kimimaro's back.

"Withdraw and come here," Itachi husked. The command lacked imperial tone; it was too heavy with fervor to be anything but common. Haku obeyed, body sliding wetly over Kimi's, and Kimimaro nibbled at Itachi's lower lip.

"God." Who said it, Kimimaro wasn't sure. "Move as you want," Master whispered.

"Yes," Kimimaro said, carefully pushing up from the bed. He forced slow breaths and the focus of uncontorting limbs let him sink low into limbo once again. He partially closed his legs with a wince, and kept his knees wide while he beat back the urge to come. Haku squeezed Kimi's hip, waited until their eyes locked in a quick glance, and moved aside as Kimimaro shifted to Master and kissed Itachi with a growl that the Uchiha answered in kind.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Is it warm in here, or is that just me?
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	15. Chapter 15

"Thank you," Haku whispered, and then everything blurred. Haku got behind Itachi, leg draped over Master's side, and Kimimaro clutched at Haku's hair while Haku kissed Itachi's neck. Master's soft groans sent sparks of electricity straight to Kimi's cock, and his tongue twined with Master's, whose hands went everywhere -- clutching, gripping, pulling.

"Pants," Itachi gasped, chin tipping up. Kimimaro scrabbled to get Itachi's fly, found Haku's hand already there, teasing the thick length trapped by cloth. Kimimaro shuddered, and Itachi groaned, head falling to the mattress with a spill of hair.

"Master… you're too good to us," Haku said, hands roving over Itachi's chest and arms, aimlessly touching with fingers that trembled. Kimimaro got the pants undone, his eyes met Haku's, and Kimimaro and Haku moved in unison to strip Master bare, throwing the clothing over the side of the bed.

"Master, please let me-- " Kimimaro began.

"Taste your skin, Master? I need more of you," Haku finished.

Itachi collapsed, yanked Haku up and bent the small man's head into the crook of Itachi's shoulder, pressing. He didn't say a word, breathing chaotic. His other hand wrapped and pulled Kimimaro's hair in a perfect grip that made Kimimaro's cock leak and smear over the bed and Itachi's leg. 

"Lower, Master, may I?" Haku panted.

"Your cock, Master… I  _ need _ \-- " Kimi gasped when the hand tightened.

"Yes and yes, God, my perfect boys, yes…"

Kimimaro wasted no time getting his mouth over Itachi and pushing metal against frenulum and sucking at the head. The sound Master made ripped shivers from both Kimimaro and from Haku, who laved at Master's nipple. Kimimaro bobbed, tongue bar dragging, Itachi pushing against the roof of his mouth and into his throat, and he stroked the full length with one hand, sliding his fist up to meet his mouth. Itachi cried out, Kimimaro's fist bumped Haku's, who reached down to cup and roll Itachi's balls, teeth in Itachi's neck.

"Fuck, enough," Itachi growled after seconds beneath both Haku and Kimimaro's attentions. Itachi sat up, sending bodies scrambling for purchase, and grabbed Kimi for a bruising kiss before letting him go.

"Kimimaro, hands and knees in front of me." Itachi paused to get his breath while Kimimaro frenetically twisted to get into position. 

"Haku, under me. Between my legs so I can fuck your mouth while I taste Kimi."

Who groaned, who moaned, and who cussed was blurry to Kimimaro, who only knew in seconds he rested on his elbows, ass in the air and parted by hands that squeezed over welt and skin. His spine arched, his body rolled, and Kimi looked down and back and saw Haku lying flat on the bed between Master's spread knees. Haku rubbed Master's hips, caressing over the bone and the flat planes of muscle, urging with his fingertips as Itachi shifted. 

"Please… please… please…" Haku whispered as he breathed, head coming up to lap at the wet, wide head of Master's dick.

Itachi spat a curse, and Kimimaro's entire body shuddered when Master split Haku's pink lips wide, sank into an eager, tight mouth, and Haku made lusty, suckling sounds, eyes closing and letting Itachi do as Master liked.

A smack to the side of his ass brought Kimimaro's head up in a snap. He shouted, incoherent, and heard a possessive grunt rip out of Master's throat before a hot tongue plunged without preamble into Kimimaro's body.

" _ Nnnn-yah _ !" Kimimaro cried, voice cutting off as he writhed and moved toward the invasion that made him want to palm his cock so badly nothing else existed on earth. The rhythm lasted for seconds before Master withdrew and gasped over Kimi's wet entrance, and it flexed and tried to close on nothing. Hands dug deeply into Kimimaro's skin, and Kimimaro rasped a rough noise of need.

"Haku…  _ oh _ …" Master shivered, Kimimaro whined, and Haku groaned louder than either of them.

"Stop," Master hissed. "God… stop…"

Kimimaro blinked and watched, fascinated, as a bead of pre-cum dribbled from his cock to the sheet below. Haku turned his head toward Itachi's thigh, hands still clutching at Master's hips.

"Swap…" Itachi husked. "Haku… face me… Kimi… behind…" He spoke between rushes of air, voice ragged in last-ditch efforts of control. 

No one said a word as they moved to comply. Kimimaro got tangled with Haku, nearly fell over, and Master steadied them both. Kimimaro got into place behind Itachi, wondering what in the hell he was doing there, heart arrhythmic at the possibilities.

"Up," Itachi ordered Haku, enfolding the small man into his arms. Haku kissed Master's shoulder, bared his throat to Master's biting teeth and suckling mouth.

"Kimimaro…" Itachi droned and sighed. "You're going to take me-- "

Twin gasps and Kimimaro's moan cut off whatever else Master was about to say. Kimimaro grabbed Itachi's shoulder and hip, steadying himself as he swayed. He couldn't  _ think _ for the insane want of such a bizarre, delicious, unexpected request, and he struggled to get a firmer grip on bodily reality.

Itachi busied himself with Haku's neck while Kimimaro found ground, and Haku's whine was plaintive and pained. "Oh,  _ God _ , Master, please fuck me," Haku pleaded, out of his mind and with one hand clutching Kimi's arm. "I can't… oh God…  _ please _ …"

"I will," Itachi said around the skin he held between his teeth. He let go when Haku's head fell back, hair trailing. "Kimimaro in me, and I in you, lovely boy. Lube and fingers first, Kimimaro."

"Ye--yeah…" Kimimaro gulped and nearly lost his balance in his haste to get the bottle. "Yes," he corrected himself.

Itachi chuckled, and the world's shutter speed slowed. Kimimaro got the tube open, coated his fingers, his palm, everything. He couldn't imagine a worse hell than somehow doing this  _ wrong _ or hurting Master or making Itachi feel anything but good. He swallowed the lump in his throat and went softer at the thought, but when Master spoke-- 

"Fingers, Kimimaro. Now."

\--Kimimaro clasped Master's hip and found courage. Master spread legs to make it easier, Kimimaro carefully took hold of a handful of scarred skin, and wiped slick down the crevice and over an entrance that felt so snug to the careful press of his fingers that it sent a pick of ice and a sword of want through his ribs to spear his heart.

"Lie back, lovely boy," Master murmured, and Haku obeyed, letting Master bend forward and offer himself to Kimimaro.

"Shit… Master… oh God… I…" Kimimaro fell over Itachi's back, forehead colliding with spine.

"Kimimaro," Itachi answered, patient but obviously wearing thin. "Go ahead."

"Yes, Kimi, please?" Haku asked, breathless as Master's mouth kissed his chest and nipples while Itachi teased Haku's balls and made the smaller man cry out.

" _ Kimi _ …" Haku said through clenched teeth, hand fisting the sheet.

"Yes… Master…" Kimimaro slid one finger over the ring and pushed inside, feeling the muscles give and grant access to depths. Master sighed, Haku squirmed, and Kimimaro took his time despite the frantic breathing through multiple sets of dry lips. He coated his middle finger again with more lube and pressed it alongside the other just as Master said, "Kimimaro, more --  _ oh _ …Good… good, sweet boy… good…" 

Master's mouth made wet noises on Haku's skin that matched the quieter sound of Kimimaro's fingers spreading lube. When Itachi started moving to meet his hand, Kimimaro thought he would pass out, and Haku began to beg everyone in the room for speed and efficiency.

"Soon, lovely," Itachi brokenly crooned to Haku. "Kimimaro, I'll need another-- " Master's voice cut off abruptly when Kimimaro deliberately changed the angle of his fingers, searching, probing, pressing for purchase as sweat rolled down his back and temples. " _ Nnah…oh… _ " Master's high moan was quiet, startled and needy and Kimimaro almost bit a ring from his lip.

"Master," Haku panted. "You're so beautiful, I'm going to die. Kimimaro… we  _ need  _ you to--"

"Oh. God…" Itachi shook and bucked back against Kimimaro's invasion when he increased the pressure on the firmer spot he could just feel with the tips of his fingers.

"Master, oh, shit…" Kimimaro gasped.

" _ Kimi _ ," Haku nearly yelled.

"Haku, I can't, he's…" Kimimaro trembled, his cock twitched, and his vision tunneled. " _ Tight." _

"Been… a while… but I can…" Master groaned, and Kimimaro grimaced as the blazing burn to be buried in Master got more demanding than Haku's tone.

"He… doesn't mind pain, Kimi…"

"No," Kimimaro said, shaking his head as three fingers slid into Master's body, more slick smoothing the way.

The men groaned in complaint, compliance, and control. Itachi swatted Haku's inner thigh in a blur of quick strikes, and Haku's incoherent syllables were clear only in their demand for more. Master bent lower, and Haku practically twisted into two as Itachi bit reddened skin. Haku whined, and heat pooled at the base of Kimi's spine as Master expertly exploited one of Haku's weak points.

" _ Fuck _ !" Haku keened, and Kimimaro tried to ignore it, thankful that Master seemed content to let Kimimaro finger him, but when Master broke off from Haku's mouth to call out and push back in faster rhythm on Kimimaro's fingers, the world narrowed to the fight not to go over the edge.

" _ Mmmmyess _ , now, Kimi."

"Yes.  _ Now _ . Kimi," Haku agreed. 

Itachi laughed and playfully smacked the outside of Haku's thigh. "I love that… too much… your brand of impatience, lovely boy, is…" The words trailed off and Itachi's head fell forward, hair tickling Haku as Kimimaro coated himself thoroughly in lube and lined up. He couldn't speak, and he loved Haku when the man spoke for him.

"Kimi, God… Master, you look so…"

"Take me." The words had the edge of command to them. "Slowly, Kimimaro. Please…"

Hearing a plea from Master made Kimimaro's world go white. Moving carefully -- more gently than he could remember -- he grit his teeth, stroked himself, and put some of his weight behind the push into Master's body. Immediately, an alarming strangled cough filled the room, but the clenching heat tore caution away from Kimi. His eyes closed, and his pulse made the dark world behind his eyelids beat red-black. Kimimaro bent forward, neck lolling, as he continued his slide.

" _ God _ !" Master called, shaking, and soothing noises filled the room -- Haku. His voice was a low murmur of words recognizable only in their intension, and barely audible over the toned breathing bordering on whimpering that erupted from Master's lungs. 

Kimimaro stopped when the last bar of his ladder dragged skin. He couldn't reason, couldn't move, couldn't  _ do _ anything for long seconds. Finally, he opened his eyes to watch Haku rise up onto one elbow. 

"You taking Kimimaro is more reward than we deserve, Master," Haku whispered. His hand ran over Itachi's skin, and Kimimaro watched Master's back heave. A crazy blend of horror and tenderness rendered Kimimaro speechless and small. 

"It's not something just anyone can do," Haku said, kissing Master's temple and glancing nervously at Kimimaro.

"Took Nagato and his metal," Itachi rasped, and Kimimaro pet Itachi's back and sides. "But it wasn't… like… God…  _ God _ …that  _ cross…" _

"Master, I can--" Kimimaro began.

"No," Itachi said, tone full of finality. He hissed, and it might have been a laugh or might have been a noise of pain. "But I don't think I can take you moving much."

"Okay, Master. Of course." Kimimaro panicked in the roar of heartbeats and struggled to find reason. He looked at Haku, whose lips found Itachi's hair and kissed and wiped away sweat. 

"Like we used to do," Haku murmured, and images flooded Kimimaro's mind of languorous love made in sanctuary and fueled by the need for distraction and comfort.

Kimimaro nodded, Haku's shouldered eased, and Kimimaro feathered caresses over Itachi's body until the man sighed. Slowly --  _ so _ slowly -- Kimimaro swiveled his hips: not a withdraw or a thrust but a pivot-roll. The sensation was enough to make him bite the inside of his cheek, and Master groaned -- this one closer to a sound of pleasure. "Fuck yes… sweet boy… that's…"

Kimimaro did it again, no harder, no faster, and Master's breathing grew labored but his vice-grip on Kimimaro's cock relaxed by fractions. 

"Master, you're breathtaking," Haku murmured as Kimimaro set a gentle pace, determination and attention helping him stay away from the brink.

After a moment, Itachi sucked a shaky breath. "Haku… turn around and let me…"

"Yes, Master," Haku said. In a blur Haku grabbed the lube, uncapped it, and wrapped his slicked hand around Master's cock. He perfunctorily stroked.

" _ Nnngh _ \-- oh,  _ shit _ …" Master's cry made Kimimaro's spine go straight as he swiveled again, cock feeling harder than it'd ever been in Kimi's life.

Haku grunted as he turned with a flourish. He looked back over his shoulder, lined up his body, and reached to guide Itachi so Master didn't have to move or take hands off the bed. Kimimaro felt Master jerk and shift as Haku backed onto Master's cock, and sighs, groans, and sound sizzled through the air.

"My, God, Master, you feel so--" Haku trailed off, falling onto his forearms.

"Beautiful," Itachi rasped. "Oh Haku… and…" He sucked in a harsh gasp in time to Kimimaro's grind. " _ Kimimaro _ …" He let the vowels elongate in a sound of disbelief. "Kimi… you're too…"

"Oh Master… please…" Kimimaro groaned, unsure of what he said or even what he wanted other than the pulsing screech of  _ more, more, more _ . Kimi shuddered, head back and thoughts scattering.

Without negotiation or further discussion, Itachi matched the movement of Kimimaro's hips on the next swivel-thrust, and swapped his grip from bed to body. Master pulled Haku back, impaling him deep to a low cry from Haku.

"Yes," Itachi slurred through his teeth. "Perfect, Haku, Kimimaro…  _ nnngh-guh _ …" And as a unit of three they grinded together.

"Shit."

"Jesus."

"Fuck…"

" _ Oh… oh… oh… _ ” Haku's cracking whimpers were high and loud, and both Kimi and Itachi ground harder, pulling more noise from the smallest man. Kimimaro's knees stuck to the sheet, his hands slipped on Master's skin, and his balls ached.

"Can't last, I-- " Itachi choked on the words.

"I can't, either, Master... _ Mercy…please _ ," Kimimaro's nails dug into skin.

"Both of you…" Itachi faltered as Kimimaro ground harder. " _ Nnn-ah _ !" Itachi's yell made them all move, rhythm faltering. "Haku, stroke yourself.  _ Now _ ."

Haku's hand flew down between his legs, and he grunted a primal sound. Kimimaro watched the movement of Haku's arm as he jerked himself off, head falling to the side as one arm took his weight and the two men above him kept moving.

"Master,  _ please _ …" Haku begged. "I'm--"

"Going to come, Master," Kimimaro gasped, shaking his head in denial of the inevitable. "I can't…" He garbled a cry as his hips pulsed, heat spiraling, the urge for release at long last making his nerves fry.

"Yes… oh  _ yes _ ," Itachi husked. " _ Come." _

Kimimaro had no idea who went first. He knew Haku half-screamed, he knew Itachi bucked back into Kimimaro and wheezed a whine before going rigid at the peak, and Kimimaro babble-moaned--

"Master… Itachi… oh fuck, oh god…"

\--just before his body snapped taut as the waves of orgasm rushed and rendered him helpless. He shook and thrashed with the successive aftershocks, and all three men breathed air that refused to sate their hungry lungs. Wails and whimpers spilled, and they caught themselves on bed and bodies in roughened clutches, no one saying anything as relief pooled in a thick cloud around them. 

It was a long time before reality seeped through the haze. Haku made a soft sound, and finally Kimimaro had to give in to the combined tremble-tumble of the men beneath him. He managed to pull out -- carefully so as not to cause Master any further undo discomfort -- and Itachi grunted.

"Sorry," Kimimaro whispered.

"'s all right, Kimi," Itachi said. "More than."

Unable to say anything else, Kimimaro rested one hand on Master's back while Itachi withdrew from Haku, who rolled down onto the bed. Haku's hair obscured his features, and he breathed hard, one hand lying open on the sheet and the other curled beneath his body. Kimimaro crawled over to Haku and bodily moved him to a dryer, cooler patch of sheets, cursing in exertion. Haku tried to help, and together they went down in a pile, Kimimaro behind Haku, arm going around him when he felt Haku shiver.

Itachi tossed the tube of lube off the bed and crawled to Haku's other side, sandwiching him between Itachi and Kimi. A shaking arm and hand came out to rest on Kimimaro's hip, and a three-way sigh erupted from all of them.

Floating and feeling safe, warm, and attended, Kimimaro dozed. His eyes opened when he felt Haku squirm. Kimi couldn't orient himself to time and space, so he didn't bother. Instead, he worked saliva into his mouth, and made a soft sound of reassurance. One of discomfort and fear returned it, and Haku burrowed closer to Kimimaro when Itachi rose up onto his arm.

"He hurts," Itachi rumbled, bleary-eyed but shifting and starting to rise. "I can go get--"

Haku trembled all over, and Kimimaro forced his brain cells to work. He caught Itachi's arm in a gentle grip, making the Uchiha stop and look at the pair of them, considering.

"It's all right, Haku… we're here..." Kimimaro whispered.

"He's right, my lovely boy," Itachi said, brushing long hair back from Haku's face. The smaller man's eyes screwed shut, lower lip caught beneath his upper teeth like he trapped words in his mouth.

The expression that flew across Itachi's features was one of fear and focus. He laid the gentlest of kisses to Haku's cheek, and Kimimaro made a sound of surprise when Haku rolled and threw an arm around Itachi's neck. Haku pulled Itachi down, the hold fierce, and Itachi went willingly, soft murmurs spilling on sighs from between his lips.

"He needs to be clean," Kimimaro explained, voice raspy. 

"Then that's what we'll do for him." Itachi held onto Haku, kissed wet hair, and turned his gaze on Kimimaro. 

Master smiled and stroked Kimi's cheek, and Kimimaro closed his eyes. "And I'll help and hold you as well, my sweet boy."

Kimimaro felt more pieces of himself remake themselves whole, and he sighed, moving closer and into Itachi's touch. He began to say something -- a murmur of thanks, affection, both -- but a sob from the man between Kimimaro and Itachi made Kimi stop. Haku's shoulders hunched and he held his breath, face buried deeply in Itachi's neck.

"Safe and sound," Itachi comforted, hand cupping the back of Haku's head. Haku jerked, breath still trapped, and Kimimaro felt his own eyes sting. He moved closer, hands soothing over Haku's skin and nose gently nudging Haku's shoulder.

"Rest easy, Haku," Itachi said. "You're perfect beyond my wildest dreams, and we'll hold you, carry you, bathe you, and then we'll all sleep here, in my bed. With one another."

"Kimi," Haku said like a man drowning.

"Listen to him, Haku… he wants…" Kimimaro couldn't finish. He was too tired, brain too numb, and he made a pained noise of his own when Itachi shifted, wrapped an arm around Kimi as much as he could, and pressed them all together. 

"You both," Itachi finished for Kimimaro. "Want and need you both."

Echoes of Break came back to Kimimaro -- how desperate he was for the situation to be  _ real _ and  _ true _ and how it felt so good it terrified him. 

Here in Itachi's embrace, however -- in his bed with Haku and mending pieces of soul and self -- this version of reality ceased to be scary and became  _ right. _

"You, too," Kimimaro whispered. "Need and want you both, too…"

Haku broke, crying against Itachi, and Kimimaro felt wet on his cheeks as well. Itachi hummed, stroked skin, kissed what he could, and Kimimaro didn't care that it was hot, sticky, messy, and exhaustedly desperate. He felt whole and happy, and allowed to simply  _ be. _

When Haku's sobs lessened and became shallow breaths, Itachi gently pulled back to look at Haku. He held the smaller man's face in his hands, kissed Haku's mouth, nose, cheek. Then Itachi craned his neck and kissed Kimimaro as well. "Let's get ourselves cleaned up."

"Yes, Master," Kimimaro said with a sniff, and Haku nodded, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Getting off the bed was a slow process. Itachi gathered toys as they went, depositing them in a basket near the bed. He watched both Kimi and Haku, the scrutiny of his gaze making Kimi sigh in contentment. 

"Wait," Itachi commanded when all three of them stood, Haku leaning against Itachi. Reaching, Kimimaro saw Itachi pull a dark blue cord on the wall. The Uchiha nodded once, wrapping his arm carefully around Haku. "Good," Itachi said. "Bathroom down the hall on the right."

Wall sconces burned dimly in the short hallway. To the left was another sitting room that'd been converted into a closet. Across from it was another doorway, this one arched. Itachi flicked a switch and Kimimaro shook his head in something like defeat as he saw the enormous bathroom come to light. There was an open shower covered in dark blue and white stone with a wooden bench all the way around for sitting and bathing. A bay window with French glass erupted beyond the shower, and a covered bench formed a window seat in front of it. The tub took up one far corner, and marbled counters ran along one long wall, antique mirrors above them. In a far corner was a glassed-in room that might be a sauna, and next to it was a narrow door and seating area. The lighting came from above and over the counter -- all dim and orange, making the room softly glow.

Itachi led them over the threshold of the shower, and turned. "Let me help you to lie down on the benches, lovely boy. You, too, Kimi."

Haku obeyed with Itachi's help, sighing as he settled on his stomach. Kimimaro followed suit on another bench, head toward and touching Haku's. Itachi turned a knob and picked up a silver shower head. Water misted from the removable nozzle, and Itachi aimed it at his forearm until he nodded, satisfied. He grabbed a sponge from a notch in the wall and started with Haku's upper back. The shower stream was like mountain fog falling over Haku's skin, and Itachi brushed the sponge in light strokes, and dabbed with the barest pressures when he reached Haku's backside and legs. Haku sighed in pleasure, one hand stretching down to the tile beneath the bench.

Kimimaro shut his eyes and dozed again. The bench was blissfully cool, the air warm enough that he was neither cold nor hot. He woke up when he heard Itachi speak softly to Haku--

"Rest and then we'll wash your hair."

\--and sighed when he felt the brush of lips over his shoulder. The spray found his skin, and it felt like nothing Kimimaro'd ever experienced: like being wrapped in a dew blanket. The sponge stroked and wiped him down, and Kimimaro stared, unfocused, at the wall.

Movement, the passing of time, Itachi turned different knobs, and Kimimaro and Haku got up off the benches to stand under firmer, warm spray. Itachi helped Haku wash his hair, murmuring in his ear. He helped Kimimaro soap up skin, lips meeting as Itachi washed Kimi with a purposeful touch. Kimimaro got lost in the daydream, knew he held Haku, hugged Itachi, kissed them both, heard praise spoken clearly, sounds mumbled in response, felt the attentive care in Itachi's hands, fingers, body.

Towels stood in a tall stack on a stool, and all three men wrapped in them. Water dripped on stone, and no one said a word as Itachi combed out Haku's hair, the small man's hands braced on the counter. Kimimaro found a brush and put it to Itachi's mane, and Itachi laughed, the soft sound picked up by Haku as he watched everyone in the mirror.

"Stay there," Itachi said when they were dry, and he negligently dropped the towel to walk to a cabinet. He got a can of analgesic spray and returned to them both. Without being told, Haku and Kimimaro rid themselves of the towels and their hands clasped on the counter as Itachi sprayed down raised skin. He made an assessing noise.

"Will be right back," he said, leaving the room to return a moment later with a handful of Advil and several bottles of blue liquid that tasted like berries, and he doled them out, keeping two pills and a bottle for himself. 

It was easy. It was simple. It was good, and Kimimaro felt like he floated back into the hallway and bedroom. He paused to blink and pull Haku to him when he saw Merek standing on the far side of the room, next to the other doorway. 

"My Lords," Merek said quietly. He bowed, eyes down, turned, and shut the pocket door behind him.

"Sheets," Itachi explained, and Kimimaro saw the covers drawn back. The curtains around the bed were undone, parted wide on one side. A single lamp glowed in the room, everything else fallen to shadow.

In silence the three men climbed back into bed, Kimimaro going first and followed by Haku and Itachi. The sheets were silky soft, the pillows arranged for three heads, side-by-side. Tears slipped down Kimi's cheeks as he turned to lie down, and Haku bent to kiss them away before settling in the middle. His hair smelled like Itachi's shampoo -- the herbal scent that Kimi so liked -- but on Haku it smelled like flowers.

The light went out, Itachi drew the curtain, and darkness, arms, and legs surrounded Kimi. A sheet came up and covered the three of them, a familiar fussy sound coming from Itachi's throat as he got the blanket as he liked it. Kimimaro smiled.

Haku faced Kimi, snuggling against him, Itachi spooned Haku's back, and fingertips touched Kimi's cheek before he heard Itachi sigh. "I think I can rest…" His voice was thick with unchecked emotion, and Kimimaro squeezed Itachi's arm.

"Please do, My Lord," Haku whispered. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Kimimaro said.

"My perfect… boys…" 

The sleepy words eased Kimimaro, a lullaby of praise and permission, and Kimimaro closed his eyes and slept.

~*~

Kimimaro opened his eyes in darkness, unsure of what woke him. Haku lay on his side to Kimi's right, and Itachi rested beyond Haku. Both men breathed deeply and evenly, mere vague outlines in the shadows created by the heavy curtains drawn around the bed. Kimimaro remained still, heartbeat slowing and breathing syncing with Haku's.

Two weeks. 

Fourteen days and Kimi and Haku's lives were entirely changed. The morning after their first night together, Kimimaro and Haku woke up before Itachi and held one another: waiting, lazy, but unsure.

"Do we…?" Haku whispered.

"I don't know," Kimimaro answered.

When Itachi rolled and finally opened his eyes, the smile that spread his lips answered every one of Haku and Kimi's questions, spoken and unspoken, and they went to him. Touching, stroking, three sets of hands caressed and Itachi murmured soft sounds of encouragement and sleepy pleasure. He pulled Kimimaro on top of him, wordlessly guided their bodies to meet, and Kimimaro rode Itachi until Itachi's hands stilled him. 

"Haku…come here…"

Kimimaro lay behind Itachi, holding him. Haku cried out when Itachi entered him, slowly; rocked within him. His body moved without aim, but his words were purposeful: "Want you here… waking with you in my bed is bliss… holding you… my perfect boys…" 

Itachi had Kimimaro reach over them both and stroke Haku, but bade it to stop when their breathing grew faster and Kimi and Haku both trembled on the bed.

They'd gotten up once everyone's legs were sturdy, and Itachi gave Kimi and Haku loose pants to wear. Haku giggled when his were impossibly long, and Itachi smiled as he ordered food to the bedroom. When plates arrived, they ate in the seating area with relish, all starving, and over coffee, Itachi said the words Kimimaro never thought he'd hear:

"I want you both. Here with me is my preference, because I understand myself well enough to know it would work, make me happy beyond measure. But I don't want you to feel you're without options. So here is what I propose…"

Haku's hand stole into Kimi's as Itachi enumerated his plan. He would either pay up each of Kimi and Haku's leases for the next year or buy them each a place of their choosing, sign said property over to their names, and arrange for any moving or upkeep. Kimi and Haku could stay where they were -- in their own apartments or wherever they chose to live - and could visit as often as they liked. 

"Merek enjoys driving," Itachi said, sipping his juice. "I know he'd be delighted to chauffer you back and forth."

"Is there another option, Itachi?" Haku asked.

"There is. You could choose to stay with me, here. Pick quarters, furnish them with your own things or with items in the house…or new furniture, whatever your preference. I will still honor the maintenance of your own residences. I move fast. I don't want you to feel pressured. Not with your histories." Itachi paused. "If nothing else, I'd like to try, but also ensure the two of you have something good on the other side if it doesn't…" He stopped speaking, the skin around his eyes pulling tight in a frown. 

Without even looking or asking, Kimi knew how Haku felt. The quiet sound of pain the small man made told Kimi everything important that Kimimaro needed to know and gave him enough courage to act. Kimimaro went down on his knees and crawled over to Itachi, resting his head on Itachi's lap. A second later, Haku followed. 

"Yes, Master…" Kimimaro said.

"My Lord… please," Haku whispered. "We want to stay."

Itachi's hands shook as he set aside his glass and stroked his hands through Kimimaro and Haku's hair. "Oh…" he said, voice thick, "Thank…you…"

After that, the whirlwind became a hurricane. After a brief discussion with Itachi, Haku decided to quit his job. Kimimaro reduced his hours, hesitating over leaving the employment of men so kind to him. Itachi allowed that -- condoned it -- and though Master Neji seemed genuinely remorseful that the clubs would lose some of Kimi's time, he told Kimimaro that there would always be a job for him at Break, should he need it, and wished him well.

Kimimaro cried after the phone call, and Master held him, Haku sitting on Kimi's other side, petting Kimimaro's back and stroking his hair.

Kimimaro and Haku opted for their leases to be paid, arguing that Itachi didn't need to go through the expense in buying someplace new when they all understood the Uchiha Estate would be their new -- and permanent -- home.

"It would be a pleasure to secure you residences," Itachi said mildly in the rental office of Hidden Village. Kimimaro put his arm around Itachi and hugged him. 

"Why not a vacation home, instead?" Haku asked with a flip of his hair. "I understand St. Thomas is lovely this time of year."

"Oh my," Itachi muttered, and Kimimaro laughed. Mirth was something he felt often and expressed more over the last two weeks than any other time in his life. He'd never felt lighter, easier, or more fortunate in his existence.

Nor had he ever felt so sure that it wasn't fleeting or a dream or an evil plot to bring him low when the fairy tale ended.

Living arrangements made, Haku decided to let the furniture stay where it was, taking only personal effects and clothing to the Estate. Kimimaro did the same, and Itachi arranged for everything to be packed and moved. He offered both newcomers their choice of rooms in the house, but when Kimimaro and Haku learned of the so-called, "Mistress Quarters" that were accessible through a hidden door off the hallway next to Itachi's bedroom, there was no question where they'd stay.

"But… we can sleep in your bed, yes?" Haku asked while they all stood in the living area of the suite of rooms that was to become Haku and Kimimaro's.

"I'd have it no other way," Itachi answered.

Kimimaro breathed a sigh of relief and while he was pleased beyond measure that Haku delighted in scouring the house for furniture and things to move into their new accommodations, Kimi regretted agreeing to help Haku redecorate. If shopping and room renovation were Olympic sports, Haku would have the gold medal in each event.

Thank God Merek agreed to come along in their numerous excursions and ushered them back to the Manor, else Kimimaro might still be with Haku, mulling over room design, paint colors, and the gods only knew what. Haku nested with more willpower than a woman pregnant with triplets, and Kimimaro and the house staff were his work horses.

And Master was no help at all, finding it entirely amusing to watch Haku politely and deferentially order everyone about. Haku combed through bedrooms in the estate, plucking pieces he liked and requesting them moved into Kimimaro and Haku's rooms. Paintings, lounges, chairs, basins, and torture devices rolled up and down the halls, all under the bemused Uchiha supervision. Master even encouraged Haku's dictatorial attitude with kisses and low laughter.

"Why, yes, lovely boy, I do think that dresser looks better on the far side of the room."

"So happy you agree, My Lord!" 

Kimimaro and Merek had exchanged chagrined looks and then moved the solid oak piece of furniture to where Haku directed.

For the fourth time.

Stifling a chuckle, Kimimaro shifted on the bed. Silence swayed Kimimaro in a bower, and he swallowed and thought about Itachi and the hours the Uchiha spent with his lawyers yesterday, sorting out finances, he said. Kimimaro didn’t feel it was his place to ask for clarification, nor did he know what that meant, but Haku was on edge. He fidgeted and kept glancing at the door with his teeth under the unforgiving grip of his lower lip. Kimimaro made soft sounds of inquiry, but Haku refused to talk about it.

When Itachi came into the den where Kimi and Haku sat watching TV, however, Haku looked at their Master and burst into hysterical sobbing. 

"What's wrong?" Kimimaro asked, dismayed and panicked as he scrambled to hug Haku hard and close.

Itachi swept across the room and went down on his knees next to them. His arms wrapped around Haku and Kimimaro's laps, and he leaned to whisper in Haku's ear.

"Master?" Kimimaro whimpered.

"A day, a month, a lifetime," Itachi said, loudly enough for Kimimaro to hear. "For the happiness you've given me, for however long it lasts, I take care of those who are mine. Neither of you will ever want for anything again, with or without me."

Kimimaro heard the words but couldn't  _ fathom _ them; didn't want to. Comprehension meant he had to consider a time without Master, and Kimimaro didn't let those sorts of thoughts enter his mind. Instead, he held Haku, breath catching as he saw a single tear slip down Itachi's face. Dark eyes opened and gazed at Kimimaro, and then Itachi moved to the couch. The embrace changed from comfort to heat, and Kimimaro let the pleasure and sight of Haku in rapture burn away doubt, confusion, and fear.

With Master Itachi, it was easy to want to live in the peace of the moment, and it was all Kimimaro could ask out of life. No, not everything was simple: there were still doubts that lurked like wolves in the forest of the storybook. But Master Itachi laid the animals to rest with long talks about what they all wanted, with dinners out at Leaf and Tobi's, by asking Kimimaro if he ever thought of owning his own piercing parlor; by inquiring if Haku had ever considered studying music. Itachi suggested Scenes, asked Haku to bake cookies, and encouraged Kimimaro to pick the movie for them all to watch after dinner. The nights of play, the mornings of making love…

A dream, a life, a world into which one could fall and not worry about ever finding ground, for there was no bottom to the well.

Letting go of memory and the daze that accompanied such rapid change, Kimimaro carefully stretched and rested a hand on Haku's bare hip. His muscles ached from another day of moving furniture and unpacking clothing, and Kimi dozed, floating in a shroud of contentment. 

_ Safe… safe… here I am… _

Haku moved with a sharp intake of breath, and Kimimaro froze.

A heartbeat later, Itachi rolled to his side, hand reaching and meeting Kimimaro's on Haku's skin.

"What is it, love?" Itachi mumbled in the darkness.

"I'm sorry," Haku whispered.

"Mm… it's all right, lovely boy… here, come closer, sweet."

Shifting along the mattress, Itachi and Kimimaro held Haku between them. Haku sighed, relaxing in the joint embrace. 

"Just a dream," Haku whispered, and Kimimaro tensed in old reflex, arms tightening around him.

"Oh?" Itachi mumbled.

"Mm-hm…" Haku scooted closer to the sound of Master's voice, half-asleep again already. "The one where you ask us to stay."

"Yes… please stay," Itachi said, quietly. "Forever."

"Yes, My Lord," Haku answered on a sigh.

"Happily, Master," Kimimaro echoed, at peace once again.

"Thank you…"

And as lovers they slept until well past the dawn.

~*~

_ /fine _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Your Tour Guide wishes to thank all the beta listeners, the peanut gallery, the cheerleading squad, and every single person who read this one and joined me on this journey.**
> 
>  
> 
> **I'd also like to thank Don Henley, who recorded the song that I played while writing this...**
> 
>  
> 
> **So while the credits roll, I give you, The Last Worthless Evening by Don Henley.**
> 
>  
> 
> **Much love, many thanks, and very happy fairy tale endings.  
> **  
>  (Monoshizukanohi & Demented Dee Style)  
> ~Dee  
>  __  
> I know you broke up with him and your heart's still on the shelf  
>  It's been over two years for me and I'm still not quite myself  
> You can't be with someone new and you can't go back to him  
> You're beginning to realize that it's sink or swim
> 
>  
> 
> _I see you around sometimes and my heart just melts_  
>  You're lookin' like if you had your wish you'd be somewhere else  
> And it just breaks my heart to see you here this way  
> Someday I'll get the nerve to walk up to you and say
> 
>  
> 
> _This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend_  
>  Just gimme a chance to show you how to love again  
> This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend  
> 'Cause I'll be there when your broken heart is on the mend
> 
>  
> 
> _Every night it's the same old crowd in smoky rooms_  
>  You catch a faint glimpse of love sometimes but it never blooms  
> And I've been around this block a time or two  
> I've made some big mistakes but girl I promise you, I promise you
> 
>  
> 
> _This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend_  
>  Just gimme a chance to show you how to love again  
> This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend  
> 'Cause it won't be long 'till your little heart is on the mend
> 
>  
> 
> _People inside their houses with the shades pulled down_  
>  God knows we could use some romance in this sleepy bedroom town  
> I know you're still afraid to rush into anything  
> But there're just so many summers babe and just so many springs
> 
>  
> 
> _And this is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend babe_  
>  Just gimme a chance, gimme a chance to show you love again  
> This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend  
> 'Cause it won't be long 'til your little heart is on the mend  
> (Yeah, a huh) That you'll have to spend  
> Just gimme a chance darlin' to show you how to love again  
> This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend  
> 'Cause it won't be long 'til your broken heart is on the mend
> 
>  
> 
> _This is the last worthless evening_  
>  That you'll have to spend 'cause it won't be long  
> 'Til your broken heart is on the mend…
> 
>  
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	16. EXTRAS

**Audio Files -- Free Download -- Available**

[ Click here to download ](http://www.4shared.com/dir/pG0FFvgx/Deprivation.html).

 

**Kimimaro's Piercing List!**

1.Two [ Microdermals ](http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Microdermal) above his eyebrows. Ruby stones.

2.Five in lips

  1. Snakebites (2)
  2. Labret (2)
  3. Lowbret (1)



3.Bridge piercing

4.Septum

5.Six [ helix ](http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Image:Ear_Head_Piercing-2.jpg) \- three in each ear

6.Two [ orbital ](http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Orbital) \- one in each ear

7.Four lobe - two each side

8.Three cartilage (two left, one right)

9.One nostril, right side

10.Tongue

11.[ Smiley ](http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Smiley)

12.Three nipple

a.One ring

b.Cross (2)

13.Navel

14.Two microdermals next to hipbones, one each side. Ruby stones.

15.Two in [ magic cross ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_cross_piercing)

16.Three guiche

17.Five in scrotal ladder

18.Seven in frenum ladder

 

**Uchiha Manor Reference Images!**

The house the Uchiha manor is modeled after is the Vanderbilt estate, among others.

[ Click here. ](http://www.biltmore.com/)

 

**Soundtrack: Don Henley, The Last Worthless Evening**

[ Click here.](http://en.musicplayon.com/Don-Henley-The-Last-Worthless-Evening-Video-188327.html)

 

# JA9 Kimimaro

 

# yaoiismy Kimi WORKS IT


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